The Ladybug Diary
by ShowMeYourFury
Summary: Today, I met a girl. Her name is Blake.
1. September 2nd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Cover Art by:** **[** me, currently **]** **  
**

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I got a brand new diary for the new school year! It's black with little ladybugs all over it, I love it!

In my other diaries I always started them out by introducing myself, so -

My name is Ruby Rose, I'm fifteen years old, and it's my first year at Beacon High School. I'm so nervous, but excited at the same time! I can't wait to start!

 **...**

Today is September 2nd.

It was the first day of school, so nothing really important happened.

Well, that's not _entirely_ true, but I'll get to that.

Anyway, so far my classes seem really cool!

I started the day in history with Oobleck, and he's really funny. He walked around the room the whole class and never once stopped talking. I don't think he even took a single breath. It's going to be hard to take notes with how fast he talks.

I can't wait to have English with Mr. Port! He tells some really interesting stories, and the way his mustache wiggles when he talks makes me laugh. I was in tears today when he sneezed and all the hair blew in one direction! There's also this guy in the class, Jaune, who sits next to me, and he's pretty funny too. We're kind of friends already (Mission: 'Friends' is a success!).

Yang's in my math class, so I'm kind of divided (Ha! Good one, me!) on how to feel. I get help with the homework, but I'll never be able to focus in class with my _sister_ sitting right next to me! Hopefully everything works out.

Oh my gosh, I got paired with the crankiest girl in my science class! We're partnered for the rest of the year, so I'm crossing my fingers that today was just a bad day for her. Her name is Weiss, and I'm not sure she likes me very much. It probably didn't help that I spilled food coloring all over her shoes today (oops!).

I share a lunch period with Yang too, and she introduced me to a couple of her friends! There's Pyrrha, who is the captain of the field hockey team and has ( _ohmygosh!_ _)_ the most _beautiful_ red hair (I'm totally jealous, maybe I'll dye mine?), and also Nora, who is really loud and crazy but also totally nice and funny.

Yang had a field hockey team meeting, so I had to walk home by myself, but it was okay because the trees look so _gorgeous_ when the leaves start changing colors and I get to walk through the drifting cascade of leaves… I can't wait to walk to school tomorrow! That sounds weird, but it's true. And it's not like anyone is going to read this (Right, _YANG?!)_.

She'd probably make fun of me if I dyed my hair…

Well, that's the end of this entry! XOXOXO :3

Oh! I almost forgot the important thing!

Today, September 2nd, I met a girl.

Her name is Blake.


	2. September 7th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

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Today is Monday, September 7th.

It was a little chilly today, so I wore my sweatshirt and boots. The way the sunlight slanted between the colorful leaves on my walk to school was so _mesmerizing_ I _had_ to take a picture! I'm pretty proud of it. I'll tape a copy to the page.

I'm staying up late to write this because I had a _literal TON_ of homework to do. Well, not, you know, _literally_ , but you get the point. It's not fair that we get so much homework this early in the year! It's the fourth day of school, shouldn't we be settling in to the whole idea of 'school' still? It's. Not. Fair. Why can't we learn _cool_ stuff like... SOMETHING, and not the _boring_ things like "the economic importance of tulips in the post-Renaissance Netherlands".

I passed Pyrrha in the halls after getting out of English and she pulled me aside. She asked me who the blond guy I was talking to was, so I told her. I thought it was kinda weird, but it seemed to make her happy. Who knows? I'll ask Yang about it after school. Every time I see Pyrrha I can't help but think how _amazing_ it would be having hair like hers. One day...

Yang was _totally_ distracting me in math today. The teacher's shoes kept squeaking with every step and it was really funny and she couldn't stop laughing and then _I_ was laughing but the teacher only saw _me_ , so I got sent out of the room and got detention. Yang bought me a chocolate milk (yum!) at lunch to apologize, but... you know? I _knew_ having math with her would be bad! But I don't think I'd be able to do today's homework without her...

Weiss wasn't as angry today (thank goodness!), and she was a big help on the lab report we had to do! If I hadn't had her as my partner, I would've had even _more_ homework to do tonight! I gave her my phone number so she could call me if she wanted to work together on the graphs we have to do, but so far she hasn't. I think we'll be great friends eventually! I can't wait to get a girl friend to talk about movies and games and – _ohmygosh –_ we could go to the mall and look at cute clothes and talk about g- ;)

Just taking precautions in case Yang really _is_ reading this (I'm on to you, sis!).

So that's the end of today's entry! XOXOXO :3

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(Okay, Yang, if I find out you read this part I will be _super super super_ mad at you and I'll never forgive you _ever!_ )

Today I talked to Blake :)

She's in my history class and my science class, but in both she sits in the back while I sit in the front so I don't think we'll be able to talk a lot during class which _SUCKS_ because she seems really cool and I want to be friends with her because she's _AWESOME_ and pretty and cool and stuff. She has super shiny black hair that looks like velvet and she wears the _cutest little bow_ in her hair I love it! And ohmygosh her _eyes_ are like the prettiest golden color I feel like I can't look away but I have to because otherwise I'd just be staring at her and that would be _weird_.

When she walked into class this morning I said, "Hi, Blake!" but I caught her when she was in the middle of yawning (which was kind of awkward), but then she looked at me and blinked and said back, "Hi." and then she went and sat in her seat and ohmygosh I thought my heart was going to _explode_ I was so nervous and I don't know why! We didn't get a chance to talk in science class (darn!) because of all the work and because Weiss was really busy yelling at me about the lab report.

I'm going to talk to her again tomorrow! :) :)


	3. September 11th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

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Today is Friday, September 11th.

TGIF. Seriously! I think this week was so hard because sometimes it still feels like summer so it's hard to focus in class when I just want to _go outside_ all the time!

Today was a great day though! I said 'Hi' to Blake again and she said 'Hi' back and she even remembered my name! I think I even saw her _smile_ , which was just the best thing ever! I waited for her after class was over but I couldn't think of anything to say so I just asked what the history homework was and she _laughed_ (cute!) and let me copy it down from her notebook. She's the best! She had little black cat earrings today that were really pretty. Next week I'm going to sit next to her in the back of the class, no matter what!

We were given our first reading assignment in English today (ugh). _All Quiet on the Western Front_. It's not due until next Friday, so maybe I'll get it done this week? Not likely, it sounds boring :(

Jaune asked if he could copy my notes, so I stayed behind for a little. Pyrrha came by and I introduced her to Jaune and vice versa. Jaune practically ignored her! I was like, "Do you not _know_ who this is? She's the field hockey team captain _and_ the track team star!" And also her _hair_. Godly. I think I'll ask if I can take her picture sometime (not in a creepy way!).

Weiss wasn't at school today, so I took some extra good notes for her. I'll text her later and see if she wants to get them from me. She could come over and we could hang out! After she gets the notes of course :P

Our test is next week, so I hope my notes help her!

I didn't get to say anything to Blake, but I waved to her and she waved back!

Nora's burp at lunch today was _insane_! I wish I could have gotten a picture of Yang's face. I had the hiccups for the rest of school!

We had pizza for dinner tonight (yum yum!). It was delicious. I like my pizza with pepperoni and olives and peppers and extra cheese! I sneaked a pepperoni to Zwei (he likes them too).

The big news this weekend is that the school's newspaper is holding a photography contest, so I'm going to look through my albums but if I can't find anything good enough I'll have to go out and take some new ones. No complaints! I hope I win!

The sunset today was stunning. I taped a picture to the back of the page! Such a range of colors...

All done for today! XOXOXO :3

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P.S. - I guess I talked about it enough, because YANG IS TAKING ME TO GET MY HAIR DYED TOMORROW OHMYGOSH YAY! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see how it looks!

I wonder what Blake will think?


	4. September 14th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

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Today is Monday, September 14th.

Goodness, it was so hard to get out of bed this morning. It rained all last night, and there's something about rainy days, a feeling or a vibe or something, that just makes me sleepy and all I want to do is snuggle under my covers and read a book. But by the third time or so that I hit the 'Snooze' button on my alarm the sun had come out and that means I have to get up and go to school :(

But, as I pushed myself out of bed and crawled along the floor to get dressed, I remembered that TODAY WAS THE DAY I WAS GOING SIT NEXT TO BLAKE (!) so I flew to my feet, stuffed my face full of Cheerios, and was ready to go to school before Yang was done with her shower (she takes forever anyway)!

It was weird seeing my hair in the mirror while I brushed my teeth. It just doesn't look like me yet, but I'm sure I'll get used to it! It looks fantastic! I ended up not getting the _full_ dye job, just highlights, but I think it looks great!

I was worried that Blake might think it was weird when I sat next to her in class, but when I put my stuff by the desk and said "Hi!" she looked up from her book, said, "Good morning, Ruby!", then went back to her book, then looked up again and stared at my hair. It was like a cartoon!

She said it looked gorgeous! :) :) :) She asked to touch it. Her fingers felt _awesome_.

I rode that high for the rest of the day! I couldn't stop smiling!

The rest of class was pretty boring, we're just learning about the development of industry in Western Europe, which is so _exhausting_ and full of numbers and places I almost fell asleep! Good thing I didn't, because Oobleck talks so fast I'd have napped through three centuries! I don't know how Blake keeps up; she always gets all the notes. She's amazing!

We have a test coming up soon (ugh), I should ask if she wants to study together! We could go to that coffee shop that's down the street from the school and get drinks and sit at a table together and go over our notes and maybe get one of those small cakes and we could share and ohmygosh we'd get along so great and make jokes and be best friends and then maybe she'd think I'm as cool as her (impossible) and we could maybe possibly think about perhaps potentially doing something together? Together together. Wow, no, that's moving _way_ too fast, even for me! Just studying would be enough, some time together outside of class. Yeah, that'd be nice.

I wonder what kind of coffee she likes? I like mine black! And also with two creams and five sugars! I don't drink coffee a lot. What if she doesn't like coffee? I'll think of something.

I started reading that book for English. Not bad! But I keep getting mixed up between east and west and that gets confusing after a while. Jaune hasn't started yet. He said my hair looked good too! :)

Pyrrha keeps waiting for us after class. I think someone has a crush on someone ;)

None of my business! ;)

They'd make a cute couple, except she's taller than him.

Pyrrha also liked my hair! It was just a great day today!

Except for one thing that's been bugging me since lunch...

We had another lab to do today, but Weiss wasn't there again, so I got paired with Penny. Which is fine, she's cool (a little strange), we got everything done (she's good with numbers), but the teacher said it was important for our test and Weiss didn't get to do it.

But the other problem is that I saw Weiss at lunch. She was sitting in the back of the cafeteria with some sketchy-looking people and I just thought it was weird that she'd skip science class. I don't think she saw me. I hope she doesn't get in trouble.

I texted her about getting my notes, but she still hasn't texted me back. Maybe she'll be in class tomorrow and we can talk? I don't want her to fall behind, _or_ fail the test...

I submitted my photo to the school newspaper for their photography contest! It was a picture of Zwei laying in the grass at sunset I took a couple months ago. It's got good lighting and framing, and a cute doggy! How can I lose? :) I'll find out by the end of the week!

Until next time! XOXOXO :3

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P.S. - Weiss texted me back. She wants to meet after school tomorrow to get the notes. We'll talk then.


	5. September 17th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

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Today is Thursday, September 17th.

Zwei decided to wake me up by puking in my room. What a great start. I love that stupid little animal (no, really). I had to clean it up and Yang beat me to the shower, so then I had to go to school without showering and felt gross all day (ick). It was also unreasonably cold for the middle of September, so had I had to _freeze_ all the way to school then _roast_ during class because I wore my big heavy sweater. Not a fun morning.

Luckily, it wasn't all bad, because when Blake sat down next to me in History she had a cup of coffee so now I know she likes coffee! That takes a huge weight off my shoulders for when I ask her if she wants to study together next week! She looked really cute in her scarf and hat; she was so adorable I wanted to cuddle her but that would have been _reall_ _y_ weird, and I don't want her to think I'm weird. She had a new book today, but before I could ask what it was Oobleck _flew_ into class and I had to get my notebook out quick or I'd be behind.

Oh, but then I could've asked Blake for the notes! Darn. Now I know better for next time!

We had a pop quiz in English today. I got almost all the answers right, and Jaune got all of them correct! I was really surprised, because he told me he still hadn't started reading the book yet. I guess he's just really lucky! Or maybe he pays more attention in class than I do... I mostly just doodle while Mr. Port talks. The guy who sits on the other side of him in class, Cardin, called him a nerd, but Cardin's always mean so I told Jaune not to take it personally. He didn't seem too reassured.

I said 'Hi' to Pyrrha after class, then left her alone with Jaune. I can't tell if she even knows she likes him! Maybe she's just really good at hiding it? It's obvious _he_ doesn't know. She's trying to convince him to join the track team, but so far he hasn't said yes. I'm sure he will eventually, who could resist _Pyrrha Nikos_ asking you _in person_?

Weiss was in class today, for the first time all week, but she wouldn't talk to me. It was pretty awkward, because we sit right next to each other. I think she was really bored, or nervous maybe, because she kept tapping her foot or her pen, so much the teacher yelled at her to stop. Maybe she's sick or something? She didn't look okay. She was really pale (more than normal), and she kept drifting off, staring out the window. After class I asked if she wanted to get yesterday's notes, but she snapped at me to "Leave her alone!" and stomped off. I hope nothing is wrong with her, she's my only girl friend! I texted her when I got home if she wanted to study for our test tomorrow, but so far she hasn't responded.

I'm super _super_ nervous about this test! I don't really know why, though, because I've been to every class and I've taken _pages_ of notes and done all the labs and studied, but I'm still _really_ nervous. I think it's because this is my first high school test, so I don't know how hard it's going to be! Fingers crossed it's easy! I'll wear my lucky boots tomorrow!

I wonder if Blake is as nervous as I am? Her lab partner, Sun, is always goofing off in class, so I wonder if she's as prepared as she needs to be. I should have asked her if she wanted to study! She'll probably be fine, because she's like, genius-level smart.

They announced the winners of the photo contest. I didn't win, I got second place. It's okay though, because I saw Coco's (first place) and it was _incredible_. Like, really beautiful composition. I hope I can be as good as her one day. I'm just kind of jealous, because she gets to take pictures for the school newspaper now and that sounds really fun. I'd get to see Yang and Pyrrha play in the field hockey game this weekend, and get in free to the football games!

It's just been a poopy day. I didn't even take a picture today. I'm going to go to bed early. I've studied so much I swear I'm going to be _dreaming_ about science class!

Hopefully tomorrow is better. XOXOXO :3

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P.S. - I talked to Dad about Weiss, and he seemed really concerned. I didn't tell him _everything_ , because I thought that if I did he'd call her parents and I don't want her to get in trouble. I just want to know she's okay, but I don't think she is right now. I'll try to talk to her after the test tomorrow, see if she's okay. I know she wants me to leave her alone, but... I think something's wrong. I'm worried. I hope she'll talk to me, and I hope I can help her if she needs it.

I don't understand. She was always grumpy, but recently it seems like she _really_ can't stand me. And she used to always show up early to class, with her notes out and ready and everything, but now she comes in right before the bell and just slumps over her desk. She always looks tired, she won't say 'Hi' to me anymore, and she doesn't turn in any homework. I just want to be a friend, or at the very least a decent _classmate_ , but she either shuts me out or gets angry. She didn't even comment on my hair :(

I'm starting to wonder if it's because she knows about me, and that's why she doesn't like me, but I don't know how she would've found out. I haven't told anyone, not even Zwei. Yang might know, if she's reading this, but I changed where I was hiding it _and_ she hasn't been teasing me, so I don't think she knows either.

Well, all I can do is keep moving forward and hope for the best, right?

Goodnight. XOXO :3


	6. September 23rd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

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Today is Wednesday, September 23rd.

I am _exhausted_ , it has been a very hectic and emotional day. Small stuff first, big stuff later.

It rained today, which makes walking to school _sooooo_ much fun (sarcasm), but I made lemonade out of cold, wet lemons by taking an _amazing_ picture of Yang walking down the middle of the street with her umbrella. The soft lighting from the storm clouds was so perfect for the shot, and the contrast between her hair and the gray street is so wonderful, I just can't even. If only I'd had this picture for the contest last week!

Speaking of Yang, she still has that bruise from when she made the game-winning shot this weekend. It's shrinking, but it's still not the prettiest thing in the world. Luckily it wasn't in my picture! She says a lot of people stare at her when she's in the hallways. Not that they don't normally stare, but now it's directed at her _face_. It's not fair that she gets all the good genes! She says that I have a chance to grow in still, but...

Then again, maybe I don't want all that attention? Unless it comes from the right places... I just want to feel beautiful, like Yang is, and...

Like Blake! Her raincoat was really cute today! Which is weird, because most of the raincoats I see are _not_ very flattering, but hers looked really good on her! After class I asked if she wanted to study together for our test on Friday, and she said YES! :) :) :) She gave me her phone number and told me to call her after school tomorrow to meet up! It's taking all my willpower to not text her a bunch; I don't want to bother her or come off as weird.

It's going to take me forever to get dressed tomorrow! I have to look good for the study date! I'll probably have to ask Yang for help, but then she'll ask why and I'll have to explain and then she'll tease me and then I'll be too nervous about the whole thing so maybe I won't ask Yang. I'll just need to try my best, and hope it all goes well.

Should I pay for her drink? If she gets a drink. What if she gets a cake, would I pay for that? I mean, it's not a _date_ date, it's a _study_ date, so do I pay for anything? Maybe she won't get anything, and I won't have to worry about it. I should tell her that we're going to the coffee shop so she can bring money, just in case. That's not rude, right? This is so stressful.

I just want to hang out with her! She's pretty, and smart, and funny, and nice, and just _seeing_ her makes me happy. So why is it so difficult? She must think I'm some kind of idiot; I always need to ask her for the notes, and now I'm asking her to help me study. Maybe I should call it off? Too late now.

I just need to focus on not embarrassing myself in front of her.

On that topic, English was interesting today. Jaune tripped on his way into class, and all his notes went everywhere! I felt bad for laughing, but it was really funny. Even Mr. Port laughed, and his mustache wiggled like crazy which only made everyone laugh more. I don't think Jaune enjoyed it as much as I did, but he managed to laugh it off.

We have an essay to write on the book, but I don't think it's going to be too hard. It only has to be two pages. Jaune will probably have more trouble than me, I'll offer to proofread his for him.

Now for the big stuff.

I followed Weiss after school today. Yang had a field hockey team meeting, so I was going to walk home alone, but when I was leaving after getting my stuff from my locker I saw Weiss heading to the back of the school and I followed her. I _was_ going to ask how she did on the test (we got them back today, I got an A- !), because she left class too quickly for me to ask then, but really I wanted to know if something was wrong.

I saw her talking to those sketchy guys she sat with last week, and she gave them some money and they gave her a small bag of pills. Which explained a lot. That was why she's been so much angrier, why when we'd meet after school she'd snatch my notes and give some excuse to leave quickly, why she'd been looking sick.

When she came back around the corner she saw me and looked really scared, then angry.

She told me to get lost, that I didn't understand her, that I shouldn't have followed her, that I was creepy, that I was annoying, that I didn't know what she had to go through, that I couldn't judge her, that I was dumb and ugly and clumsy and childish, all sorts of things. I didn't say anything, I just stood there while she talked. She said that she was under a lot of pressure from her family, that she needed something to help her relax, that she didn't have a problem, that she could stop anytime she wanted, that I wouldn't know what it was like, that it wasn't dangerous. After a while I guess she ran out of things to scream at me, because she stopped talking. I asked if she was okay. She started crying.

Which was absolutely terrifying. I've never had to deal with a crying girl before. I gave her a hug and we sat down on some steps and I rubbed her back while she cried. She said that her dad was really strict, and would punish her if she didn't get _perfect_ grades. Her parents wouldn't let her hang out with anyone before, during, or after school; she always had to go straight home, or she'd be punished. On weekends she had singing practice and dance practice and fencing practice (which all sounds really cool but also sad), so she never got to do anything _she_ wanted. She said she didn't have any friends.

But I told her she was wrong. I'm her friend, whether she wants me to be or not. Whether her parents say so or not. I said that anytime she was feeling down or scared and sad or angry she could text me and we would talk. I told her I'd rather have her scream at me than even _think_ about taking another pill. I asked if she wanted to come over to calm down but she said she had to get home. I'm going to call her later and make sure she's okay.

Drugs are _not_ okay. I never thought I'd actually have to deal with them, but after all those things they talked about in health class I'm not going to let Weiss get any more entangled with them or those sketchy losers.

So, yeah, crazy day today. And tomorrow is the date! Study date! Not a _date_ date.

I'm so nervous.

XOXOXO :3

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P.S. - Weiss said I helped her feel better :)

And that she likes my hair :) :)

I have a girl friend! :D


	7. September 24th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Thursday, September 24th.

OOOOOH MY GOODNESS I just got back from my study date with Blake and I _have_ to write something down before I forget _any_ of it because it was _awesome_ and great and amazing and WOW I am so happy right now I can't stop smiling I had to hide from Yang so she wouldn't ask me why I was so happy because I'd probably forget that I'm trying to hide it from her and just tell her that I hung out with Blake and that it was the best thing that ever happened in my life!

She texted me to meet her by the front entrance and I met up with her there and then we walked to the coffee shop and talked the whole time and it was really sunny and warm(ish) today so the weather was perfect and the breeze smelled like flowers which is strange for this late in September but it was great. I wore my lucky boots (even though it was nice outside), my lucky dress, and my lucky socks, which is probably why everything went INCREDIBLE today, and then a gray-and-red striped jacket that was just light enough to not be too hot, so I think I looked really good! Blake looked _fantastic_! Well, she always does, but today she was jaw-droppingly beautiful. She had a purple scarf and a black sweater and gray leggings and cute black shoes and then this absolutely _lovely_ black beanie with a white flower on it I was like "Wow!". She's so stylish!

Blake asked me about the science test and I told her I got an A- and she congratulated me and said that she got the same thing and then we talked about how hard it was and she agreed with me that it was pretty hard. She said she and Sun studied together and he could barely get any of the practice questions right. I said that we should study together for the next test and she giggled and said "Okay!" so now I can't _wait_ for the next science test!

When we got to the coffee shop there wasn't a very short line so we got to talk for a little while before we got our drinks. She said she likes cappuccinos and mochaccinos and the chocolate chip cookies they have, but also that she was excited for October because that's when the pumpkin spice lattes come back and she likes the way the shop smells when everyone orders them. She goes to the shop a lot to read, so after we ordered (I got a caramel macchiato!) she took me to her favorite table. It was in the back by a big window that looked out onto the garden of the florist next door so we had a great view of a bunch of daffodils and irises and magnolias. Blake knew all of the flowers! She said that she works in the florist during the summer! That's really cool!

Blake looked so pretty with the light shining through the window, so I asked if I could take a picture and she said yes! I showed it to her and she smiled. She asked for a copy! I'll have to remember to bring one to her tomorrow! It might be my new favorite, but only because Blake's in it.

We studied for a long time, then talked for a while. She said it was nice to talk to me :)

When we were done it was starting to get dark so we walked back to the school. I asked if she wanted to come over for dinner but she said she had to go home. Maybe another time? I hope so.

I feel really prepared for the test tomorrow! But I'm still going to wear my lucky boots, just in case.

Today was great! Hope tomorrow is just as good! XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - Weiss called me again today, which makes me happy. It means she's not swallowing a pill. She wasn't very talkative today, but I think she'll warm up eventually. I asked how her day went, how much homework did she have, what she had for lunch, what she was doing in gym, all the normal stuff. She said her day was okay, but she had a lot of homework so she couldn't talk very long.

We only talked for maybe fifteen minutes, but she already sounded a little happier than yesterday. I tried to get her to come over and hang out this weekend, but she said she was too busy with practice, but maybe next week. I'm so happy to have a girl friend! Even if it's Weiss. She acts mean all the time but that's only because she's so stressed. I know she's really nice and friendly deep down.

I bet she and Zwei would get along great! She seems like the kind of person who'd like dogs :)

Can't wait to see Blake and Weiss tomorrow! XOXO :3


	8. September 29th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Tuesday, September 29th.

The weather was nice today, bright and sunny with a gentle breeze that coaxed the leaves from their lofty homes in the tops of the trees, carrying them on their drifting journey downwards to gather in crinkling piles in the gutters. Which would normally make me want to take a picture, but today it just reminded me that Dad's probably going to make us rake next weekend. Don't worry, I took a picture anyway! I think I took too long setting it up because Yang yelled at me that we were going to be late. Walked through the doors literally seconds before the first bell :)

Blake smiled at me when I walked into history today and asked how my weekend went. It made me really happy for some reason and I couldn't stop smiling back. I like talking to her. She had a cute dress today that went well with her shoes, and her hair, and her eyes. She's _so_ pretty, I feel like I can't stop looking at her during class. My notes are suffering for it though :( I can't pay attention to _Oobleck_ when _Blake's_ right there, looking all cute and pretty and stuff, taking notes in her _beautiful_ handwriting... I can't help but peek at her, she's too gorgeous!

Apparently our study session (or maybe my lucky boots!) worked out, because I got another 'A' on the history test! I would never have been able to do it without Blake (and her notes :P)! She got 100%, the highest grade in the class. Good thing she's my study partner!

After class I gave her her copy of the picture I took on Thursday, and she told me that I was an amazing photographer, and then I did that thing I do where I spew out a huge string of mumbled words because I don't know how to accept praise and it was super embarrassing. I hate when I do that! I think it's worse when Blake says stuff; I just _can't_ handle her looking at me and smiling and complimenting me all at the same time, I felt like my heart was going to _explode!_ Blake laughed at me though, so it wasn't all bad. I _love_ her laugh, every time I hear it it's like my whole day gets better!

We're starting the poetry unit in English, which is like "Yay, great, I can't wait to hear all about the pretty words that are really hard to understand and don't make any conceptual sense because some 'poet' decided they couldn't express themselves with _basic sentence structure_ and instead decided to obfuscate _everything_ by creating obnoxious methods to wind their words into a nonsensical swirl that struggles to provide a clear point". And I swear, if Mr. Port says 'dactylic hexameter' one more time...

Can't we just read some Dr. Seuss and move onto the next book? Or even a research project or something? _Anything_ but poetry! :(

However, the most interesting thing happened _after_ class :)

Pyrrha was waiting for me and Jaune as usual, and after she and Jaune talked for awhile he left and she pulled me aside and... asked for my help getting Jaune to notice her! I _knew_ she liked him! But apparently the feeling isn't mutual... yet. :) She asked if I had any ideas on how to _woo_ him, which is funny because she doesn't know that she's asking the _wrong_ girl for that kind of advice. She should probably ask Yang, but I guess I'm the main choice because I'm friends with Jaune. Lucky for her, I know the _perfect_ way she could help him out and get some _alone_ time with him ;)

She could help him with his essay! He gave me a copy to look over, and I did already (really good!), but I could claim to be _oh so very busy_ and tell him that "Perhaps Pyrrha could help you? She's really smart!" Flawless strategy. I'd be an evil mastermind if it wasn't for my inherent good nature and voracious love of cookies. No villains ever like cookies.

I wonder if Blake likes poetry? She reads a lot of books, she probably likes poetry.

I guess poetry is okay.

Weiss gave me a hug in science today. I squeezed her tight, so she knew I cared. She turned down my invitation to hang out again, but hopefully one day I can get her out of her house and then we could go to the mall or the movies or the park or something and we could talk out all her problems and work on fixing them. I want to make her happier, I can't stand seeing one of my friends so sad, and I think the best way to do that is to make sure she knows that I'm her friend and I'm there for her no matter what. Or at least, that's what I remember from the 'Depression' unit in health last year. Sounds right. I know her life is messed up and she's struggling, but seeing her buy those pills scared me. Our calls every day are reassuring, but until she tells me she's better I'm going to keep worrying.

Nora brought a new person to our lunch table! His name is Ren, and he seems like a cool person. The _complete opposite_ of Nora though! He's quiet and reserved while Nora _screams_ out every thought in her head for the whole world to hear! They're an odd pair.

Today was pretty good! XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - Yang and Dad are fighting. He's mad that she keeps coming home so late, she's mad that he's trying to control her. Or at least that's what I'm getting out of all the shouting. Zwei and I are hiding in my room, listening to some calming music.

This always happens around this time of year. Around the time Mom died. Tomorrow is the tenth anniversary. I still miss her.

We all have our rituals. Dad gets quiet and buys a big bottle of something to drink, then visits the grave after work. He usually doesn't come back until the next day, so Yang and I get a pizza. Pepperoni, extra cheese, olives, and green peppers, Mom's favorite toppings. Uncle Qrow calls around 8:30 and asks if Dad's here, but it's an excuse to check on us. He and Dad tend to meet up and get drinks together.

Yang gets angry and spends a lot of time out of the house. I don't know what she does because she never talks about it, but Dad doesn't like her being gone for so long. He gets worried about her, but she likes to be left alone for a while and he doesn't get that. He _wants_ to spend time with us, but also doesn't want us to see him sad. Yang told me once that she takes the car and just drives until she feels it's okay to stop, then comes home. One time she was gone all weekend. Dad was really mad about that.

My ritual is that I go through all the photos of us. Me and her, all of us together, and some of just her. I listen to a lot of music, go for walks with Zwei, and try to take some good pictures. I write her a letter of everything that's happened in the last year and put it in the box of her stuff I have in my closet. I like to think that that's where she's paying the most attention. Sometimes I visit her and talk about things, but I haven't for a while.

I hope wherever she is, she's happy.

I miss her a lot.

This is the only thing about September I don't like.

P.P.S. - Weiss called, but I said I didn't want to talk. Not today. Probably not tomorrow. I hope she won't be mad, I just... can't today.


	9. October 5th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Monday, October 5th.

The trees are bare now, branches like skeletal fingers reaching towards the clouds, pleading with the atmosphere for mercy from the frigid clouds, begging for a glimpse of the sun. Their wooden bones rattle in the wind that cuts like knives through the warm layers of my sweater, chilling my skin. Sorry, practicing my poetry! It... still needs a lot of work I think. None of it really made sense until I complained to Blake about the poetry unit and she tried to explain it in terms of pictures. Now it sorta makes sense. She offered to help me with it, but I'm _way_ too embarrassed to let her see anything I write. No way! But it'd be nice to spend more time with her!

Which reminds me, lunch today was really weird.

To start from the beginning, our English essays were due today, which I _completely_ forgot about until Mr. Port told us to turn them in. I didn't forget to _write_ it, just to print it and bring it to school. I asked if I could turn it in at lunch, and he said okay, but that meant that I had to go to the library to use the printers. When I walk in, _there's Blake!_ She was eating her lunch in the library, her nose buried into the middle of a _really_ thick book. I was so surprised!

So was she, judging by her reaction when I sat down next to her. It was pretty hard to keep my voice quiet (library and everything) when I asked her why she was eating in the library, I was really excited to learn that we had the same lunch period! I can't believe I never asked her before! Anyway, I thought for sure it was because she was studying (because she's so studious!) or she was waiting for someone (because she's so nice!), but she said that she _always_ eats her lunch in the library, which really confused me. She said she likes to read while she eats, and it's quieter in the library than in the cafeteria (which is especially true since Nora is in our lunch period too). I asked if she usually meets with her friends, but she got really quiet (quieter than normal, even for a library), and mumbled something that I couldn't understand. I didn't want to bother her, or distract her from her book for too long, so I told her I'd be right back and printed my paper. When I was done I asked if she wanted to eat lunch with me and my friends, but she said no.

After I turned in my paper I went to the cafeteria and ate as fast as I could, because I only had a few minutes before the period was over. Everyone was wondering where I'd been, so I told them I was talking to Blake in the library, and then they gave me a strange look but before I could ask what was up the bell rang and I had to go to gym. I don't know why they reacted like that.

On the way home from school I saw a cat! It was black with white spots on its feet like fluffy boots and it was walking down the sidewalk looking all cute and stuff and I took a picture! It looked directly into the lens so it came out _purr_ fect!

I think Yang is starting to rub off on me, she always says stupid jokes like that.

When I got home I had to let Zwei out and he ran through all the piles of leaves we raked yesterday, so now we're probably going to need to rake again. I don't blame him though, it looked like so much fun! I took a short video, but it's all shaky because I was laughing too hard at his adorable little face smashing into leaf piles. I'm going to show it to Blake in history tomorrow, I think she'll like it. Weiss would probably like it too! I don't think I've ever heard her laugh...

Speaking of Weiss, she called me after dinner and we talked for a little bit. She said she couldn't come over this upcoming weekend because she had a fencing tournament, but wanted to make it up to me somehow so she _promised_ that next-next weekend we'd be able to hang out. I'll have to think about what to do, but I have two weeks so I'm sure I'll come up with something good! I can't wait! Seeing Weiss 'in the wild' will be so cool!

Until tomorrow! XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - Yang came to talk to me before I went to bed. She wanted to talk about Blake. She said that I shouldn't talk to her because she's _weird_. Apparently Blake used to look different. She had big dorky glasses and ridiculous headgear for her braces, and wouldn't talk to anyone. Yang said Blake would always sit in the back of class reading books, and that there was a rumor that she was reading smut novels and touching herself during class. Yang doesn't want me to associate with her, in case people start thinking _I'm_ weird too.

But the entire time she was talking to me the only thing I could think about was how _awful_ people are, to make fun of Blake for such _stupid_ things like her glasses or her braces, and what an _idiotic_ rumor! I _know_ Blake isn't weird; she's nice and smart and kind and pretty and funny and all sorts of things that those _fools_ who made fun of her wouldn't be able to recognize if it slapped them in the face! And that's what they need, too.

Those braces gave her that _beautiful_ smile she has, and she would be so cute with glasses that I wish she'd wear them so I could see it. I'm so mad I could punch someone. I can't believe Yang thought I'd be worried about what people thought about me because I wanted to spend time with my _friend!_ I'm going to eat lunch with Blake tomorrow, no matter what. She's too nice to have to eat alone.

Now I'm angry and it's going to take me forever to get to sleep!

I have to go make cookies.

Blake's going to get cookies and company tomorrow in the library, I hope she's ready.


	10. October 6th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Tuesday, October 6th.

I woke up mad today, which _never_ happens. Normally I'm tired, and maybe a little cranky because of it, but today I was _mad_. It took me forever to fall asleep last night because I was so angry about what Yang said to me, about how Blake was treated back when she looked different, so I only got about five hours of sleep because I had to bake cookies to calm down. So I was mad _and_ tired, which is not a good combination for me.

I couldn't even _look_ at Yang this morning while we were eating breakfast together. I think she knew she messed up because she looked ashamed of herself, and she probably was going to apologize but in my sleep-deprived fury I wouldn't let her talk. She tried to take a cookie but I slapped her hand away. Maybe that was mean of me, but those are _Blake's_ cookies, and Yang especially doesn't get one until she makes up for what she did. Dad stole a couple when he left for work this morning, judging by the crumbs on the plate, but I forgive him. He couldn't have known they were for Blake.

Yang and I walked to school in _silence_. We left a little late because she was waiting for me to finish wrapping up the cookies, which took a long time because I hate that stupid clingy plastic wrap that _never_ cooperates, so we were kind of rushing along when she finally asked me to slow down. I stopped and glared at her while she apologized for what she said yesterday. She said she was just trying to look out for me, that she didn't want me to get bullied or treated the same way as Blake because I hung out with her. I told her that she didn't need to apologize to _me_ , but that by telling me about that rumor she was only adding to Blake's bullying, so she needed to say she was sorry to Blake. The way she hung her head and promised she would makes me believe that she really _is_ sorry, but I'm withholding my forgiveness for when I hear her say the words to Blake. Well, I'll _talk_ to her and stuff, but she doesn't get any cookies! Yang said that I'm scary when I'm angry.

I didn't feel much happier until I sat down in history and said 'Hi' to Blake. I couldn't help but inspect her, based on what Yang said. I've decided that she'd look really good in glasses. There's no way she wouldn't! It was super embarrassing when she caught me staring at her, and I had to pretend that I was just dozing off because I was so tired. I hid the cookies in my backpack because I was saving them for lunch, and also if the entire class (or even Oobleck!) knew that I had my Very-Special 100%-Awesome Chocolate Chip and Two-Cups-Of-Sugar Still-Warm-From-The-Oven (not really) Best-Ever Trademark Ruby Rose Cookies I'd have to share with the whole class and then there wouldn't be any left to give to Blake! And that would have ruined the whole point of today! To spend time with my super-smart nicest-person gorgeous gal-pal Blake!

I got really nervous because at the end of class Blake asked me if I thought the classroom smelled like cookies! I tried to be extra careful walking between classes so I didn't crush them!

Cardin was messing with Jaune again in English. When Jaune left to go the bathroom before class Cardin turned his backpack inside out and put all his notebooks in the trash. If I had been there you can bet I would've punched Cardin in his fat, stupid face! He's such a childish moron! Jaune just collected his stuff from the trash and sat down, trying to ignore Cardin's dumb, stupid, ugly sneer. After class I told Pyrrha about it and we both told Jaune that he had to stand up for himself, but he said "It's fine, it's not a big deal." I think Pyrrha and I both agree that it _is_ a big deal, but neither of us can fix it for him. Hopefully he gets the courage or confidence to put Cardin where he belongs. Pyrrha especially seemed really upset by it, so I told her that she should try and help Jaune. She agreed, and the way she set her teeth made me really excited for when Cardin finally gets his just desserts.

Yang was still scared of me in Math class, which made me feel kind of bad so I let her have half a cookie. I had to be sneaky so that no one else knew that there were cookies, but if anyone noticed they didn't mention it. I'm still sort of mad at Yang though!

I showed Weiss the video of Zwei I took yesterday and she absolutely _lost it_. She didn't stop laughing until the teacher had to yell at her to keep quiet so he could take attendance. Her laugh is so adorable, I wish I could hear it more often. She said she really wanted to meet Zwei because she loves dogs! She's looking healthier too, a little warmer in the cheeks and no more bags under her eyes! That's good. She apologized _again_ for not being able to hang out this weekend, but I assured her it was okay and that I'd come up with something for us to do when we actually meet up. We got a lot of homework, so we promised to work on it together tonight.

After class I waited for a little while then made _straight_ for the library. Blake was already there, sitting in the same chair as yesterday, unpacking her lunch. She jumped when I sat next to her, but calmed down when she saw it was me. She asked why I wasn't eating lunch with my friends but I said "I _am_ eating with my friend!" then pulled out the cookies and handed them to her. She must have been really surprised because it took her a few seconds to say "Thank you! This is such a wonderful gift, Ruby!" which made me blush and squirm like crazy and I _finally_ felt happy again after being angry all day when she took the first bite and smiled. She said that she loved how they were gooey on the inside but firm on the outside, and that chocolate chip cookies are her favorite kind! Then she shared with me and I had to be careful to leave some for her! I just really love cookies, especially my own super special ones!

When we were finished, licking melted chocolate off our fingers and brushing crumbs out of our clothes, I asked Blake again why she always ate her lunch alone in the library. Her smile shrank and she said that she liked to be alone when she reads, and that the library was quiet, but I was like "That's what you said yesterday!" so I pressed further and then Blake said that she didn't have any friends to eat with! She said that no one would ever eat with her when she sat in the cafeteria and sometimes people would throw food at her or say mean things about her when they passed by her so she decided to eat in the library where she could read in peace.

After hearing that, I did the only logical thing and leaped to my feet, grabbed Blake by the hand, and pulled her as fast as I could to the cafeteria. Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and Yang, and probably Blake too, were all really surprised when I showed up and practically forced her into a seat at our usual table. I put her next to Yang and sat on her other side, and said, "Howdy, guys! This is Blake! She's going to be sitting with us from now on!" then I looked straight at Yang and gave her my 'serious' look. Yang understood what I meant, and was the first one to say "Hi!" to Blake.

Then Pyrrha caught on and asked Blake what she was having for lunch and then Nora tried to trade Blake's sandwich for her… I don't know what it was, and then Ren gave Blake his drink because Blake left hers in the library (oops!). Blake seemed really nervous at first, but by the time the bell rang she was laughing at Yang's dumb jokes and Nora's energetic hand-waving. She tugged on my sleeve when I was about to leave and mouthed 'Thank you'. My heart almost exploded.

Now Blake's going to eat with us! And she has friends! Well, she always did (me!), but now she has more and she doesn't have to eat alone in the library AND she doesn't have to worry about anyone bullying her because if they did I'd crush them. But the best part is that she liked my cookies!

There was only one downside of today: I think Yang is getting suspicious. When we were walking home she asked me what I thought of Blake and I told her she's my friend and Yang said "Uh-huh" in that tone of voice she uses when I tell her I absolutely totally 100% did _not_ use up all her shampoo and my hair smells like that because I'm naturally a fragrant person.

I have to relocate the Diary for its own protection.

I almost forgot to take a picture today, but while I was walking Zwei I noticed that our neighbor's roses were almost blooming, so I got a nice shot of the budding petals. Not the most exciting, but I like it. It was hard to get enough light because the days are getting shorter now, but it came out okay. I wonder if Blake likes roses after working in a florist? I can imagine running into thorny flowers a whole bunch would get annoying after a while.

That's all for today! It was a good one. XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - Weiss and I just finished our homework. It took us over an hour! I'm so glad she's my friend, or I'd have just given up and watched TV but she kept me on track. She's such a good friend! :)

P.P.S. - Yang was in my room. I think she was looking for the Diary. She'll never find it under my socks, ha ha! :)

P.P.P.S. - Blake texted me _just_ before I went to bed thanking me _again_! She said no one has ever done something so nice for her before. That makes me really _really_ happy. I'd write more, but knowing that Yang is _looking_ for this means I have to be more careful now.

But there are a lot of things about Blake that make me _really_ happy.


	11. October 14th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Wednesday, October 14th.

So I just finished going back through my last few diary entries as I was moving it to an even safer location (the underwear drawer!), and I think it is time to admit to myself that I have a crush on Blake. Surprising, I know.

What really sealed the deal was that last night I had a dream about her where it was just me and her alone in the school for the entire day and we never stopped holding hands and then when it was time to go home and we were standing on the front steps about to split up she kissed me goodbye and the feeling was so magical and then I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about Blake and how pretty she is and how nice and how smart she is and I love her eyes and how they sparkle and look so interesting and are always filled with a quiet laughter like she's silently making jokes to herself all the time and I just really, _really_ want to know what those jokes are but the only way I'm ever going to hear them is if she tells me so I really want her to tell me because she'll laugh and when she laughs my whole world lights up with twenty million colors brighter than every rainbow mixed with every single drop of starlight all stirred together! Yeah, that's the closest I can get to describing her laugh.

And I love how her hair is always so shiny and smooth and flows around her shoulders like a silken veil carved from polished marble and when she tucks it behind her ear I feel a little flrgrlgrgrl in my chest like my heart forgot what it was doing and my stomach gets all wobbly and I have to hold my mouth closed so I'm not just staring at her with my mouth open. I love how cute she looks when she's engrossed in her book and you can always tell what's going on because her eyes get all excited when something action-y is happening or she bites her lip when there's some suspense or she smiles when her favorite character said something sarcastic and sometimes if I'm lucky and I got to class early I'll hear her chuckle to herself if something funny happened and I'll get to watch her smile. I've started to make Yang leave earlier with me because those are my favorite moments and someday I want to get there early enough to take a picture of her because I don't think she knows how cute she looks when she's reading!

And she's the nicest person ever because she always lets me copy her notes when I ask and she helped me study for the history test and she likes my cookies which means she's obviously a good person and I can't believe she thought she didn't have any friends because how could someone as cool and nice as Blake not have any friends? After English today when Pyrrha and I were talking she said that she thinks Blake is a really cool person and if _Pyrrha Nikos_ thinks someone is cool they _have_ to be cool.

I know she likes books and reading and the color purple (all her prettiest clothes are purple!) and my red hair and the smell of pumpkin spice lattes and cappuccinos and flowers and chocolate chips cookies. I know she's smart because she always gets A's on all her tests and she does all the homework and she tries to laugh it off like it's hard for her too but I know it's not because when we studied she already knew nearly all the answers which is _amazing!_

But what else? What else does she like? Does she like riding bikes? Does she like climbing trees? Going for long walks while its snowing? Taking pictures at the zoo? Baking cakes and cookies? Video games? What are her favorite television shows? What's her favorite song? Band? Style of music? Does she play the air guitar like I do when 'Red Like Roses' comes on the radio? What does she want to be when she grows up? Is she a dog person or a cat person? What's her favorite number? What's her favorite month? Season? When's her birthday? I hope it's coming up soon so I can get her a present! What's her favorite food?

I feel like I know hardly anything about her but I just can't _stop thinking_ about what I can do to make her happy! What can I do that would let me see that smile or hear that laugh and look into those heavenly amber irises as they glimmer with genuine joy at something _I_ did?

I can barely sleep anymore, and I love it! I think about her all the time; during class, walking home, when I'm eating, when I'm doing my homework, while I'm brushing my teeth! I can still feel the warmth of her hand from when I dragged her out of the library last week! I hope that feeling never goes away.

I think I'm in love.

I'm going to ask her out tomorrow, I have to!

But how? Do I walk up to her in History and just spill the beans? That would be so embarrassing, I'd probably die! I'd ask Yang for advice but I _can't_ suffer the unending amount teasing that would come from it. Not to mention that I don't think she knows I'm gay. But I have to do it tomorrow! I can't wait any longer! I want to spend all my time with her, around her, talking to her, listening to her!

And where would I take her? Dinner? The coffee shop again?

I'll figure something out.

I'm going to wear my lucky boots, lucky socks, lucky shirt, lucky pants, lucky hat, bring my lucky stuffed dog, and, for extra good luck and confidence, I'll even wear my lucky _underwear_.

I'm so excited I'll never get to sleep tonight!

Wish me luck tomorrow! XOXOXO :3


	12. October 15th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Thursday, October 15th.

I'M SO STUPID!

I'M SUCH A GIANT IDIOT!

I'M THE BIGGEST, STUPIDEST, DUMBEST MORON ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH!

Why did I

I should have

Of course she

Because _obviously_ she

I'm so dumb! Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb!

I HATE myself!

I'm so stupid!

...

I made a mistake.

That's all for today.


	13. October 18th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Sunday, October 18th.

It's been a miserable weekend.

I didn't go to school on Friday. I told Dad I wasn't feeling well and he let me stay home. I stayed in bed all day, rolling over and over and over trying to get comfortable but I couldn't. I didn't eat anything until after he came home and made us red bean stew. He always makes that when one of us is sick. I just didn't have the energy to _do_ anything. Everything felt gray and even _thinking_ felt exhausting, so all I did was lay there, being a completely useless blob of stupid _stupid_ Ruby.

I still couldn't stop thinking about Blake, which just makes my chest hurt and my eyes tear up because I'm… I'm really really sad. I just wanted to spend more time with her. But then after school when I was going to ask her if she wanted to go to the movies with me I saw her and Sun sitting together and they were really close together and Sun had his arm around her shoulders and then I realized I didn't even know if Blake was like me. I hadn't even considered the possibility that maybe she liked _boys_ , that maybe she couldn't think of me the same way I think of her because she's _not into girls_ and she wouldn't be interested in me because SHE'S NOT GAY.

I didn't bother to ask, I left and went home. I know the answer. She'd say no. Why would she want to go out with me, a _girl_ , who's dumb, short, and ditzy when she could date _Sun_ who's tall and handsome and funny and strong and a _boy_? Thinking about how stupid I am makes me want to tear my hair out! Of course she likes boys, she's _normal!_ Of course she has a boyfriend, Ruby you idiot, because no one is going to ignore someone that beautiful! Sun makes her laugh! Sun is her science partner! Sun is a _hot guy!_ And I'm nothing. I'm an annoying little girl who always bothers her for her history notes and who bugged her in the library and is always being weird and asking for her picture and staring at her and is clumsy and obnoxious and is just a _stupid stupid stupid_ short dumb dyke who couldn't realize she had no chance and got her _stupid_ lesbian heart broken.

For some reason I thought that maybe the way she helps me with stuff and smiles at me and says 'Hi' to me and waves to me in the halls meant she might _like_ me, and that if I just asked maybe she'd say yes. I'm such an idiot. She was just being polite.

Yang checked up on me when she got home, and I said I was feeling a little better. She said at lunch Blake asked where I was. Yang told her I was sick. I think Yang definitely knows something is up, but thankfully she hasn't decided to start teasing me yet. She probably thinks I'm after some guy. I guess I'll have to tell her soon. I don't know how she's going to take it, let alone how Dad will react. Maybe I should wait a little bit longer? But it's _killing_ me inside not being able to tell anyone or talk to anyone. I don't know what will happen when I do. Will they reject me? Will I lose all my friends? Would Dad and Yang be mad? Would Blake even _talk_ to me if she knew?

I'm too scared.

Blake texted me on Friday but I really didn't want to talk to her, or anyone really, so I didn't text her back. I didn't even read her message. Then when I was trying to fall asleep the stupid blinking light kept me awake so I threw my phone under my bed.

Saturday was pretty much the same. I got up and ate breakfast, then lay on the couch and watched TV for most of the day. Dad put me back to bed when I fell asleep. He asked if I was feeling any better when I came down for dinner and I said I did a little bit, but I lied. I haven't really felt any different since Thursday. I cried a lot.

I've spent all day today _dreading_ going to school tomorrow, but I know I can't use the 'I'm sick' excuse for another day. I'm pretty sure Dad knew I wasn't actually sick in the first place. What do I do when Blake asks where I was? Or why I never responded to her message (which I still haven't read)? I can tell her I was sick, she already knows that since Yang told her. I'll say I lost my phone. I won't take it to school and pretend I find it when I get home. Where should I say I found it when she asks where it was? The car? My dirty pants? Forgot it in the bathroom? Zwei hid it? If she asks why I didn't just call it I'll say the battery was dead.

She can never ever ever know that I have a crush on her and the reason I wasn't at school on Friday was because I realized I couldn't ask her out and got so sad I didn't want to leave my bed. It's not her fault I'm gay and she's straight.

I guess I'll go back to bed until it's dinner time. Tomorrow I have to go back to school :(

* * *

P.S. - Weiss called about an hour ago but I said I didn't want to talk. She got really upset at me because she thinks it isn't fair that _I_ can help _her_ with her problems but _she's_ not allowed to help _me_ with mine. She yelled at me for probably fifteen minutes about how after everything I've done for her why I wouldn't talk to her when I wasn't feeling great and all she wanted to do was help me like I helped her and she was trying to be a good friend because "That's what we are, right? Friends?" and how no matter how down she was feeling I was always there for her and now she just wants to return the favor. It made me feel really good but I'm still too scared to tell anyone that I like girls so I made up an excuse that I was sick and my throat was sore so talking hurt and that's why I didn't want to talk. Weiss apologized really quickly for her overreaction but made me promise that we'd talk more in class tomorrow and said she'd bring me something to help with my cold so I'd better be at school tomorrow or else she'd bring it to my house and apparently she thinks that's a threat.

I'm glad I have friends like Weiss who can drag me out of the dumps.

Now I'm a little more excited for school tomorrow :)

* * *

P.P.S – Blake's message says, "Where were you on Friday? I missed you."

I don't want to see her tomorrow. I don't want to have to lie to her face when she asks if I'm feeling better. I hate lying to my friends, but every day when I see her and she asks me how I'm doing I'm going to have to lie and say "I'm good."

This sucks.


	14. October 19th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Monday, October 19th.

I'm so glad today is over. Since the second I got up this morning I was waiting for the moment when I would finally get home and could jump back into my warm bed and relax for a while. Every single one of my classes pushed a new assignment on me and they're all due by the end of the week! I have History terms to fill out (which always takes two hours!), a short English essay on a poet of my choosing, three pages of math problems, _and_ I have to finish up a lab report for Science! And, on top of all that, since it's almost the end of the quarter we have a whole ton of tests coming soon.

Lucky for me Yang offered to collaborate on the math stuff and I can call Weiss and we'll probably be done with the lab report by Wednesday. Essays aren't usually an issue for me, but the History homework is going to be _awful_. I don't want to ask Blake for help. I wouldn't want to bother her any more than I already have.

I almost broke into tears again when I walked into class today. She was sitting in her seat, as usual reading her book, already halfway through and rubbing her fingers along her bookmark which means she's in a really good part and is nervous about having to pause to pay attention to class. I tried to sit down quietly but she _obviously_ heard me because I'm so stupid and clumsy and I dropped my notebook so then she looked up and saw me and said "Hi.". She asked if I was feeling better because she'd heard I was sick over the weekend and I said that I was getting better but still not 100%. She asked if I got her message and then I had to focus really hard on not being obvious when I said I lost my phone and I was pretty sure the battery was dead and Blake was like, "Oh, okay." and then Oobleck came in and we both started taking notes. For the first time since I met her, I was glad Blake wasn't talking to me.

Talking to her now is like grinding sharp rocks together in my chest and I know it's wrong to blame her but I just don't want to talk to her right now until I can get over everything and then I hope I can be a good friend to her because she still needs friends and I should be there for her even if...

Am I a bad friend for wanting to avoid Blake?

Probably.

I'm going to work extra hard to try and be Blake's friend, even if every time I see her I want to cry and hide in my room. She deserves it, and I _refuse_ to knowingly hurt my friends. I can get over this. I'm happy she's happy. I'll smile even until it hurts so she doesn't worry about me.

Anyway, Jaune is probably going to ask Pyrrha for help with his essay, which goes right along with our plan to get him to ask her out! We still conspire every day after class, slowly working towards getting him to _get it through his thick skull_ that when Pyrrha smiles at him and touches him on the shoulder and walks next to him and compliments him all the time _she wants him to ask her out_. Our whole friend group knows and we're all getting really impatient. Nora stood up in the middle of lunch and shouted, "Screw it, I'm just going to go tell 'im!" but we pulled her back down.

Cardin has gotten really obnoxious lately. He pushed Jaune into his locker today. One day soon that jerk is going to get what's coming to him. I know Pyrrha has been driving Jaune really hard on the track team, you can even tell he's lost some weight. I can't wait for the day Jaune puts Cardin down.

Weiss caught me before I got into class and surprised me with a big hug. She asked if I was feeling better and I told her I was and then she reached into her backpack and pulled out an _entire blueberry pie_! I was like "Whaaaaa..?" and Weiss said it was to make me feel better because she knew I liked sweet stuff and pie was like the only thing she could bake consistently and she wanted to lift my spirits. It totally worked! I had some when I got home, and it's super tasty.

I still have to come up with something for us to do this weekend when we hang out. I want it to be extra fun because this is the first time Weiss has been able to hang out with anyone since Summer and that's a _long_ time to never have a break. I have a couple ideas I'll run by her tomorrow, and she can choose whichever one sounds the best to her!

Yang had another field hockey practice today because they have a game on Saturday, so I walked home by myself. I'm getting tired of taking pictures of naked trees, I'm ready for snow! I love snow, it always looks so pretty and calm when it's falling and getting to watch Zwei try to poop when the snow is deeper than he is tall is really funny because he sort of hops along and it looks so cute and then he comes in covered in snow and shakes and gets water everywhere, which annoys Dad.

Ooh, and I'll get to build a snowman and have a snowball fight with Weiss and Yang and Bl-

Maybe I shouldn't get too excited yet. It doesn't usually snow in Vale until later in December.

Well, time to go do homework. Until tomorrow! XOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - Weiss called and we worked on the lab report. She's so good at this stuff! I can't wrap my head around all the formulas and the general process confuses me so I'm really glad she's my partner. I can't imagine what it would be like if I had someone who understood science as little as I do. Like, what if _Yang_ was my partner? She'd probably set the room on fire before she got an A on a lab report. We're just not a scientific family. Dad takes one look at our homework and says "Nope!" He's no help. I asked Weiss if she could help me with my history homework too and she said "Sure!" but then like two seconds later she was like "Oh, sorry! My dad's calling me for dinner. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Ruby!" and then she hung up. At least my science stuff is done.

* * *

P.P.S. - Blake texted me asking if I wanted to work together on the history homework. I told her I was done already. She said "Are you sure you're okay? You've never done your homework this fast before ;P" and I said that I was fine. I lied to her again. It makes me sick to my stomach. I hate lying, but she can't know the truth. Sometimes I wish I was normal.

* * *

P.P.P.S. - I was downstairs and then I heard Zwei barking upstairs so I ran up and he was barking at Yang who was _in my room going through my stuff!_ She said she couldn't find one of her shirts and was wondering if I'd grabbed it out of the laundry by mistake but I was like "A likely story!" because we don't even wear the same size and I'd _totally_ know if I had one of her shirts.

She's looking for my diary.

I'm not mad at her for looking for it, I know she isn't trying to be mean, but she _seriously_ is not allowed to read it.

Time for bed, tomorrow is another day :)


	15. October 23rd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Friday, October 23rd.

Jaune punched Cardin.

We were walking out of English class talking about the essay that was due today and Pyrrha was walking towards us and then suddenly Jaune wasn't beside me anymore. Cardin had pulled him backwards by his bookbag and had him in a headlock calling him a nerd and a pussy while his friend Russel spilled all of Jaune's stuff on the floor. I thought Pyrrha was going to explode, she looked so _angry_... I've never actually seen her angry before, just... concentrating on her field hockey game. I was actually starting to feel bad for Cardin because I was pretty sure Pyrrha was going to snap his neck but then Jaune wiggled out of the headlock and reached back and then shoved his fist straight into Cardin's nose. It was like the whole school was silent for a second and then Cardin's nose started bleeding and Jaune started yelling at Cardin "Leave me alone, asshole!" and then Ms. Goodwitch appeared out of _nowhere_ and grabbed Jaune and Cardin and started dragging them to the office. Cardin kept asking her "Why am _I_ getting punished? _He_ hit _me_!" and Ms. Goodwitch was like "Shut up." and I couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face.

Pyrrha looked like she'd just seen a miracle. When I think about the way her eyes followed Jaune I laugh, because it was like the _definition_ of a crush. I'm getting places with those two. Maybe Jaune will actually ask her out soon, if I give him a gentle push. I can see why she likes him now, he's kind of cool sometimes. Too bad he's not my type :P

I was all giddy from the fight when I went into science class and I told Weiss all about it and she was like "Boys are idiots..." and I have to agree. I'm really excited to hang out with her tomorrow! I told her my ideas of what we could do and she chose to go to the movies, then get some food before we go and watch the field hockey game! I think she's really excited too, because she was smiling the entire class and kept checking with me about when she should get there and asking if I needed a ride and who'll buy the popcorn and what she should wear so she doesn't get cold during the game. I had to reassure her three times that it doesn't have to be that specific, but eventually I gave in and just said that I could get a ride from my sister and I'll pay for the popcorn if she buys lunch and I'll bring an extra jacket in case it's cold during the game and she _finally_ seemed to relax. She _really_ needs this break. I can't imagine spending a day in her shoes, I'd go crazy!

At lunch, after Pyrrha and I told everyone about how Jaune had punched Cardin (in his big stupid pig-face), Pyrrha announced that she was hosting a Halloween party and we were all invited! She said her parents allowed her to invite the track team and field hockey team and we should all come and dress up in costumes and there'd be games and food and stuff. It sounds like so much fun! I only wish she'd told us sooner, I'll have to start looking for a costume right away! Everyone said they'd go except Blake who said that she had to check on something first. I hope she can come, it wouldn't be as much fun without one of my best friends!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! Well, I like _every_ holiday, but Halloween is in the top ten at least. I get to dress up in a silly costume, there's tons of candy, and sometimes I get to spook the neighborhood kids! Last year Zwei and I made someone cry because I was walking him in my costume and surprised them by accident, but it was probably mostly because they were scared of dogs and Zwei is really friendly so he jumped up on them which isn't really ideal for someone who's afraid of dogs, but I gave them some candy and they stopped crying. Maybe I'll go as a witch this year? I was a mummy last year, but my costume kept falling apart and I don't want that to happen when I'm surrounded by a bunch of my classmates.

Yang had another practice, so I walked home alone again. I got a neat picture of two squirrels running across the road together. When I got home I ate the last piece of Weiss' pie and watched some TV. It feels so good to relax after such a stressful week. I still feel bad about lying to Blake, but I think it's going to get better. She's stopped giving me that weird look where it's like she's worried about me, and she's stopped asking me if I'm feeling better. We're kind of back to where we started, back to normal.

I feel like I'm over her. It was just a dumb crush anyway. It's not like I had a chance. She's pretty and smart and funny and nice and straight and I'm... not those things. It should have been obvious to me from the beginning. But, I'm over it. I'm moving on. Now I'm just her friend, and that's good! I'm friends with the prettiest girl in school! I hope Yang isn't reading this, because I think saying that would make her angry. She's a little competitive like that. But Blake is soooo beautiful and she gets great grades and she's always offering to help me with stuff and she's really cute with her silky hair and shining eyes and-

I'm over her. She's dating Sun. She's just my friend. I'm happy for her.

Anyway, I can't wait for tomorrow! Weiss and I are going to have so much fun!

XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - I have to apologize to Yang, because I _did_ find one of her shirts in my dresser. I don't know why I'm so paranoid about her looking for my diary. It just seems like something she'd do, but she hasn't teased me about anything since like sixth grade. She's probably not even actually looking. I think I'll tell her about me soon. She's my sister, she'll understand. Right?

* * *

P.P.S. - Yang came into my room to tell me that Pyrrha just texted her that Jaune texted _her_ that he got suspended for punching Cardin. Cardin got suspended too, but it's not fair! Jaune was only standing up for himself! The school system is stupid. He won't be back in class until Wednesday, which means I have to take extra-good notes. Oh well, I bet Cardin won't bother him anymore!

Time for bed! XOXO :3


	16. October 24th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Saturday, October 24th.

I told Weiss. It just kind of slipped out.

It started out like any other Saturday; I got up early to give Zwei his breakfast, then ate my cereal in front of the TV dressed in my pajamas (the rose ones!), catching up on my favorite cartoons that are totally age appropriate for me and not childish in any way, then waited for Dad to get up before I changed and took Zwei for a walk around the neighborhood so he'd poop but we ran into that nasty little dachshund that lives down the street so I had to pull Zwei away before he got bit or something. Why are all tiny dogs (except Zwei, of course) so temperamental? It's like they think everything is out to get them! Maybe that's why Weiss is so cranky to everyone but me? But I'm kind of short, and I _think_ I'm nice, so...

Anyway, I got back from the walk and did my breakfast dishes then waited for Yang to get out of the shower so I could get in and clean up before meeting with Weiss and then I chose my "going outside on a Saturday" clothes and texted Weiss to make sure she remembered that we were hanging out today, and she texted me back saying yes, she remembered, how could she have forgotten she was so excited about it, so then I waited for a while and watched some more TV while Yang got ready and then we drove over to the movies and I bought the tickets and popcorn while I waited for Weiss to show up. Yang was going to stay and watch with us but said Pyrrha asked if she wanted to help decorate for the party next weekend so she left. Then Weiss showed up in a _huge_ white limousine and the driver got out and opened her door for her and everything and told her to be careful while she was alone in public and I got the feeling that this _really_ doesn't happen a lot for Weiss, but after the limo drove away she ran over to me and we hugged and she said it felt really great to be outside without some kind of "guard" (finger quotes and everything), and she was so happy that we were hanging out.

Then we went into the theater and got pretty decent seats in the middle and about halfway up, so not the best but they were pretty good, and I put the popcorn between us so we could share. The theater wasn't super crowded, because the movie had been out for a while, but a few people were there so Weiss and I whispered quietly while we waited for the movie to start. We talked about school and homework and Halloween and what our favorite candy was and then the room got dark so we quieted down and watched the previews and then I reached for some popcorn and it was all gone, so I went and bought more and was back just in time for the movie to start. Overall it was pretty good, but there were some weird parts where the plot didn't really make sense and one of the actors wasn't very talented (feel bad saying that), but I was seriously questioning how he even got cast into a big film like this, but the ending was exciting and the effects looked great so I can't really complain. Weiss thought it was really good.

We talked about the movie the whole way to the restaurant Weiss chose for lunch. It was a small little Chinese place about a mile away (lucky it wasn't too cold!) from the theater and Weiss said it was her favorite place to eat and she knew the family that owns it so when we got there they had a special table waiting for us and were ready with Weiss' favorite appetizers (spring rolls!) and we talked some more about the movie and a little about school before we ordered. I got a really tasty chicken dish that I can't pronounce or spell but I _loved_ it, and Weiss got some noodles and rice. We talked a little about her home life and how she's been feeling and she said she's been feeling better since we started talking more and she wanted to thank me for everything so far, so she waved to the waiter and he brought out some fried ice cream for us. Weiss said she knew how much I liked desserts and sweet stuff so she planned this whole thing for me as a way of saying thanks. It was _delicious_. I'd never had it before!

Then it was starting to get close to the time for the field hockey game so Weiss payed and we left and started walking to school, which was kind of close. I felt so fat, walking along after pigging out on all that food and the fried ice cream. Since it was getting late it started to get a little colder so I was glad Weiss had made me bring an extra jacket because it started getting windy too and I was a little chilly. We got to school just in time but had to hurry to get our tickets and some good seats so we could watch the game. It was a really intense game (home game versus our rivals!) and by the end I could feel my throat starting to get sore but finally we won when Pyrrha broke through the defense and scored! I could see Jaune sitting in the front row cheering his head off. Weiss and I stayed just long enough to congratulate Yang before Weiss said she had to get home or her parents would get angry.

We were walking back home (that's where we told Weiss' parents to pick her up because it was close) talking about everything we did today and she said I was so much more fun to hang out with than some guy who'd just try to flirt with her the entire time and then I said "Yeah, who likes boys anyway?" and then she said "I don't know, some guys are kind of cute. Don't you think?" and I said "Nah, I'm not into guys." and then Weiss stopped walking all of the sudden and it took a second for me to figure out why.

Then it was like _**BOOM**_ , red flashing lights and air raid sirens going off in my head because it sunk in that I'd just told someone I was gay. Weiss was like, "Ruby, are you saying you're... a lesbian?" and I was _freaking out_ thinking how could I have been so careless to just let it slip out like that and why was I so dumb and now my life is ruined because she'll tell everyone and no one will like me and Blake will think I'm gross and I'll be alone for the rest of my life and all because I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. So I was like, "Uh, no?" but I'm _sure_ she could tell I was lying because I've never really been a great liar and I was probably sweating like crazy which is suspicious when it's like just above freezing outside and Weiss was like "Uh huh." and then she looked at me for a second and then said "So you have a crush on Blake, right?"

I was like "PHBBHFHHHT _what?_ No!" and my heart was pounding so hard in my chest and my brain was like ABORT ABORT ABORT ABORT RED ALERT THIS IS NOT A DRILL but I couldn't move and then Weiss _smiled_ and was like "I knew it! You always look at her during class and you always smile when she talks to you."

Apparently she'd had her suspicions about me for the last couple of weeks.

So now someone knows.

After that we talked about girls and boys until we got home and then her parents picked her up.

Having a girl friend is exhausting.

I hope I can get to sleep tonight; my body is drained but my mind is on fire. It kind of feels good having someone know. Like a giant bubble of pressure in my chest finally popped. And I don't think Weiss is the kind of person who'd tell anyone, so I think I'm safe for now. Good thing tomorrow is Sunday, so I can still relax before going back to school.

That's all for tonight, XOXOXO :3


	17. October 28th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Wednesday, October 28th.

I don't know how anyone expects me to pay attention to class when Halloween is right around the corner! I mean seriously, I'm not going to spend my time thinking about the global significance of the French Revolution when I need to be thinking about my costume that I'm going to wear to Pyrrha's party and how to not embarrass myself in front of the track team and the field hockey teams because I'm not really great with crowds and what if there's _dancing_? I think I'd just die if I had to dance in front of everyone because it's not like I'm the most coordinated person in the world and I _know_ I'd trip over something like my shoes or my dress or just a random object that magically appears in between my feet and the floor or maybe just the _air_ so how can they think that I'm thinking more about Waterloo and not about the potential end to my social life as I know it? I'm going to avoid dancing as much as possible.

The good (?) news is that Blake is going! I asked if she was going to Pyrrha's party after class and she said yes so I guess whatever she needed to check on checked out (hehe). I just need to not embarrass myself in front of _her_ , and I'll be okay. I don't know why it's bothering me so badly that Blake is going to be there because I mean I'm totally over her (no matter _what_ Weiss says!) so I should just try to have fun with _all_ my friends and not try to avoid the one who's super pretty and who I sort of had a crush on a couple weeks ago (but not anymore).

Blake wanted to know if I wanted to schedule another study dat – time – for the upcoming test in History. It's not until next Friday but it covers a _lot_ of material. I hate the end of the quarter! I had to say I'd get back to her about it, which makes no sense why would I not be able to _schedule_ a time to study, because as much as I don't really want to be around her too much I also don't want to be a bad friend and refuse.

I constantly confuse myself with my feelings about Blake. I don't want to spend time with her because I think after a while I'd just annoy her and also I should give her some space so she can hang out with Sun or Yang or Pyrrha or someone who's not me because it's not like I'm a lot of fun to be around, and of course because being around her and looking at her smile at me and listening to her laugh still gives me that wibbly-wobbly _thing_ in my chest. I think to myself "I should leave her alone and forget about my obvious feelings" but then she asks me to study with her and I remember how I found her in the library all by herself because other people would bully her and then how am I supposed to leave her alone like that? I'd be such a horrible friend!

I also need to study, and it worked well last time, so I guess I'll have to take her up on it. I'm nervous already.

Jaune's back! Which is great, except it means Cardin is also back. They used to sit right next to each other, but Mr. Port separated them so now Cardin sits all the way in the back. I hope he gets eye strain. I gave Jaune all the notes I'd taken for him since he got suspended and asked if he was going to Pyrrha's party. He said "Of course I'm going, I'd never miss it!" and I chuckled to myself inside because our plan was working _perfectly_. Soon he and Pyrrha will be dating and its going to be all thanks to me muahahahaha! Mostly I'm just excited for Pyrrha; she's been after Jaune since she first saw him, and I'm a sucker for mushy stuff like that.

As soon as I sat down in Science Weiss leaned over and asked me "How's Blake today, hmm?" and I could feel my face explode and it was a struggle to keep myself from shouting "Shut up Weiss she's sitting right there ohmygosh what's _wrong_ with you!?". Over the last couple of days I've filled her in on everything that's happened up until now and she's flabbergasted that I've been able to survive this long after so much exposure to the subject of my infatuation. She thinks I should just go for it and I'm like "That's how to kill me. Make me ask her straight out." and she's like "You were ready to do it once before, what changed?" and I'm like "Uh, duh, she's not gay?" and Weiss is like "That doesn't mean you have to be afraid to hang out with her! You're just hurting yourself." and I hate when she's logical and smart and stuff like that because it just makes me more frustrated with myself that I'm too scared to actually do it.

But what if Blake gets mad at me? Weiss says that that's no reason not to try. She says she's just helping me the same way I helped her, but she doesn't get it. I _can't_.

Everyone's excited for Pyrrha's party! I'm kind of worried about Nora though; if she's that energetic normally, what is she like hyped up on a sugar high? I'll just try to avoid her and make sure Ren's nearby to absorb all that _Nora-ness_. Poor guy.

Nothing interesting happened on the walk home from school, but when I was walking Zwei I saw _two_ cats chilling out on a fence and got a decent picture. I've been so busy I'm forgetting to take pictures every day!

Dad came home early and brought leftover donuts from his job and sandwiches for dinner! He also stopped on his way back to pick up some ice cream! Stale donuts aren't the best, but I microwave them for a few seconds and it's usually better than cereal.

That's all for today! XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - After dinner Dad said that Yang could finally get that motorcycle she's been fawning over for the last year and a half. He said to consider it an early Christmas present. Her scream of euphoric surprise is still ringing in my ears. I'm sure he thinks that she'll be dissuaded by the less-than-ideal weather in late Fall and Winter, but there's no way Yang's going to wait until Spring to start riding. Of course, she has to buy it with her own money and pay for the insurance and taxes and everything but there's no way _that_ will stop her. I bet it was just a ploy to make her get a job. Very clever, Dad.

Actually, now that I think about it, it was probably Uncle Qrow's idea. He's always been secretly supportive of our vices while subtly urging us towards virtue. A devious old man, my Uncle is. If he ever read that he'd be offended.

Goodnight! XOXO :3


	18. October 31st

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Saturday, October 31st.

It's Halloween!

I'm so happy that Halloween falls on a Saturday this year because when it's on a day like a Tuesday or a Wednesday and there's school the next day it totally takes away from the excitement because then I have to stop trick or treating early and go home and make sure I did all my homework and get to sleep on time and the experience is ruined! _This_ year though it's on a Saturday and I get to go to a party and stay up as late as I want! Or at least, as late as Yang wants because she's driving me to the party :)

At the time of writing this, there's still another three hours before when Yang said we'd leave, so I'm furiously putting on the final touches to my costume! It's coming out _great!_ I'm going as a witch and I've got a long flowing robe and a big hat and a broomstick and Yang's going to help me put on some green makeup so I'll actually _look_ like a witch! I'm still practicing my wicked laughter, but I think by the time we get there I'll have it down.

Yang's going as Wonder Woman, complete with crown, whip, and revealing clothing. When Dad saw the costume he said "Ooooh no, not in that!" but Yang talked him into it by saying that there weren't going to be a lot of guys at the party since it's for the field hockey team (100% girls!) and the track team (80% girls!) and she's 17 so she knows what she's doing. The second part made him laugh really hard, but he ended up okaying it so long as she leaves the house with shorts over it. He said, "You'll probably do whatever you wanted anyway, but as long as I see you dressed appropriately when you leave, I won't be worrying as much about it." Yang said that was an agreeable compromise.

I can't wait! There's going to be games and _candy!_ I love candy! And Blake's going to be there, which I've decided is a plus. I've also got to keep an eye on Jaune and make sure he spends a lot of time with Pyrrha! The plan advances!

I'll write more when we get back! XOXO :3

* * *

We're back.

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

We got there at like 9:15 which was fine because Pyrrha said she wanted people to show up around 9-ish so I guess we were technically 'on time' even though I felt like we were kind of late. Pyrrha's house was _sooo_ cool decorated in spiderwebs and skeletons and there were fake headstones in the yard and it was pretty clear that she'd gone all out for her party and it looked really good! Some of the guests were already there (naturally, since we were late) so Yang went to talk to her friends on the field hockey team while I tried to find someone to talk to.

There were a lot of people I recognized from the field hockey games I went to. I saw Dew Gayl and Nebula Violette, and their costumes were really good! Dew was a mermaid and Nebula was a feminine Robin Hood. May Zedong was there too, but I couldn't really get what her costume was. She said she was rapper, but I didn't recognize the name she gave. Neon Katt from the track team was there too! She was a rave girl, and went _all out_. Rainbow _everything_ and she had like ten glow sticks. I also saw Sage and Scarlet, but they were hanging out in a corner by themselves and I didn't want to disturb them. There were so many people it took me _forever_ to find Jaune.

He was dressed up as a knight, but his costume didn't look that comfortable. I think he bought the wrong size armor at the costume store. Anyway, I went over to him and said 'Hi' and we talked for a while about school and the party and each others' costumes and then he showed me where the food was which was _great_ because I skipped dinner so I would have more room for candy but I just ended up being _really_ hungry. It was outside (warm weather for late October!) in Pyrrha's backyard and there were even _more_ people out there! I saw Ren and Nora (Ren was a samurai or something and Nora was Thor) and Blake was there too! She was dressed up as Catwoman from Batman and it looked really good. I grabbed some food and went and talked to them for a bit – mostly to compliment them on their costumes. Blake said my witch costume looked great!

Then a whole bunch of new people showed up which was really surprising because I didn't recognize any of them as being from the track team or field hockey team. Yang came outside and said that another party heard about Pyrrha's and crashed it.

And then my greatest fear was realized.

Someone started playing music and everyone cheered and the backyard suddenly got swarmed with a ton of guys and girls and they started _dancing_ and I was afraid for my life because I was so scared that someone might ask me to dance but then I remembered that no one was really interested in little 'ole me. Most of the people there were upperclassmen and I didn't think that they'd want to dance with me because I'm... 'short'. I also kind of hid by the food and didn't talk to anyone and pulled my hat down low so they couldn't see me. I watched Nora drag Ren out and start dancing and then Pyrrha came out with Jaune in tow and they started dancing and I congratulated myself on a job well done because _surely_ after tonight he'll figure out that Pyrrha is _super super hot and he should ask her out_ and then they'll be together! Yay!

Since I _really_ didn't want to dance I moved to a corner of the yard and sat down on a lawn chair and started texting Weiss. Her family had been invited to some party by one of her father's friends so even though I asked Pyrrha if she could come she was busy. I made sure she was feeling okay and trying to have fun but she said she was "Unequivocally bored out of her mind" and that some 12 year old spoiled brat dressed as a penguin was trying his darndest to flirt with her. She said she was passing the time conducting an experiment on how many ways she could tell him to go away before resorting to violence.

Then she turned it back on me and asked if I was having fun and if I'd talked to Blake yet and _then_ when I was typing "Yes, it's fun. There's so much CANDY! :D" Yang came over to me and grabbed me by the arm and dragged me towards the dancing. I was like "No Yang please no don't" but she said, "There's someone who wants to dance with you!" and I panicked a little thinking about who could possibly want to dance with me why not someone else who was prettier or _older_ or less petrified by the thought of dancing. I could _feel_ myself just start sweating all over and I felt really nervous and scared and tried to get out of Yang's grip but I couldn't and before I could protest any more we stopped and Blake was there.

Yang said, "Hey Blake! Here's Ruby like you asked! Have fun you two!" and then she disappeared! Blake seemed just as surprised as I was. She was like "Yang! What-!" and I was basically in a coma. I literally couldn't move and it felt like my whole body was telling me to play dead. Honestly the whole thing is kind of a blur, but I remember thinking 'I'm so nervous I'm going to die'.

Blake asked "Uh, so... Do you want to dance?" and then (because I'm so dumb and awkward and can never say no to Blake) I said "Yes." But Blake smiled and said "Okay! Let's go!" and then she took my hand and pulled me into a group of people dancing and said "I like this song!" and we started dancing. Well, she did. I just kind of stood there trying to remember to breath and not touch anyone while at the same time staring at the ground to make sure I didn't step on the hem of my dress and trip myself and faceplant into the dirt and have everyone laugh at me because I'm so clumsy and awkward.

Blake is so amazing. She's smart, beautiful, nice, funny, and she can _dance_. I just watched her and couldn't believe how _good_ she looked while she danced. She was mesmerizing; I couldn't look away. The music stopped and I didn't even realize it until Blake asked me what I was looking at. I was like "Just catching my breath" (not entirely a lie). Then Blake took my hand again and we went and played some games and then we got some candy and ate it together and talked about stuff and before I knew it Yang was tugging on my sleeve saying we had to get home or Dad would have a fit so I said bye to Blake and thanked Pyrrha for inviting me and then Yang and I drove home.

I pulled out my phone during the ride to tell Weiss what happened and she was so happy for me and said that I'd have to tell her _everything_ at school on Monday and then she asked if I could come rescue her from the boring party she was at. I wish I could have; it's going to be so fun telling Weiss about it, even though in the end she'll just tell me to ask Blake out and she _knows_ I can't do that.

I _also_ had to interrogate Yang!

When I _demanded_ to know why she did that she just winked at me and said "Oh you know, just 'cause." and laughed.

I have a feeling that something more devious is going on!

But it'll have to wait until another time. I'm exhausted.

Today was a good day :)

Until next time! Goodnight! XOXOXO :3


	19. November 3rd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Tuesday, November 3rd.

My stomach felt funny when I woke up this morning. I think it was probably because I've been eating too much candy. It would explain why when I had candy for breakfast I didn't feel any better, where normally eating candy makes me really happy. I might have to hold off for a little while, but that just gives Yang extra time to finish hers and start working on mine :( Or for Dad to decide a few pieces of candy won't _really_ impact his diet too much.

When we got to school someone had painted over the sign so it read "B acon High School" instead of "Beacon High School" which was really funny. While I was sitting around before class I overheard Mr. Port trying to convince Dr. Ozpin to let it stay that way. Mr. Port is the best. I got a picture of the sign just in case they fix it before the end of the day.

Blake was really pretty today! I think she got a haircut or something because she looked a little different. Whatever it was, it looked great! We talked for a little while before class started about the party and the rest of our weekend and I told her that she was a really good dancer and she blushed a little (sooooo cute!) and smiled and said "Thanks!" and then I asked her why she had Yang drag me over to dance and she choked on the coffee she was drinking and when she finally recovered her breath she was like "Oh, I-I don't know... Just a little prank I guess?" and then Oobleck showed up and was already halfway through a lecture from yesterday on the modernization of Japan in the late nineteenth century so I couldn't ask Blake if Yang was teasing her or something. Yang had better not be picking on Blake! She was supposed to apologize and swear to never ever ever make assumptions about people based on stupid rumors ever again and I thought she was best friends with Blake (they talk all the time) so if she's gossiping behind her back or being annoying I'll force feed her all my candy and make her so fat she can't even _ride_ a motorcycle! She'll need a _tractor!_

Right after class Blake said she had to go meet with someone so we didn't get to talk then either. I bet it was Sun. I'm actually a little surprised she didn't invite him to Pyrrha's party. I thought for sure that was the thing she had to check on, and his friends Sage and Scarlet were there, so it was weird he didn't show up.

Someone drew penises all over my desk in English. I can only imagine someone in a previous class was _extremely_ bored and decided to practice their art skills. All I can say is that they are in need of further improvement, but it was still really embarrassing when Mr. Port came in and remarked on it (them?). Luckily he believed me when I said that _I_ didn't draw them. Instead he blamed Jaune, which was really funny to me. Jaune was like "Why me?" and everyone laughed. Then Mr. Port had us write letters to Dr. Ozpin asking to keep the sign as "B acon" for at least a week.

After class Jaune pulled me aside before we left the room. He asked, "Has Pyrrha told you if she likes anyone?" and it took a lot of mental fortitude for me to not squeal in delight and start jumping up and down so I, very very calmly so as not to give anything away, said, "I don't think so. Why?" and then Jaune got really red and kept looking at his feet and I couldn't stop smiling. He was like "Umm, don't tell anyone, Ruby, but... I think I have a crush on Pyrrha." and in my head I was cheering but I couldn't _actually_ do that so I just said "Oh. Why don't you ask her out?" and then Jaune said "It's not that simple Ruby! I can't just ask!" and I asked "Why not?" but then before anything else could happen Pyrrha knocked on the door (apparently we were taking too long) and Jaune jumped as if something bit him on the butt which made me laugh really hard.

I whispered everything to Pyrrha once Jaune left to go to his next class. We're both so excited! Now we just need to actually get him to ask! It's all coming together!

Weiss is still trying to convince me to just ask Blake to go do something together. Ever since I told her about the party yesterday she's been trying to convince me that even if it doesn't work out it'll be _fun_. But how is freaking out and being super nervous and worrying the whole time about how I look or smell or if it's okay if I accidentally touch her or what to say or how she'll react if she finds out the point was to be kind of a date and that I'm actually gay and like her _fun_?

For a girl whose life is filled with an overload of stress, Weiss really doesn't seem to understand stress. Like, duh, I can't _just ask_ her! First I have to be sure she's not dating anyone, then I have to choose a time where we're both free, then I have to choose something she'll want to do, then I have to actually _ask_ , then she has to say _yes_ , and by then I'll probably have had six to twelve heart attacks and be dead. Weiss keeps saying "It can't hurt to try!" and I'm like, "Uh, hello? _Six to twelve_ heart attacks!" If only I could have Weiss' level of confidence.

Actually, I'm a little surprised Weiss isn't in a relationship or anything. She's _very_ pretty, super smart, and so nice! Next time she tells me to "just ask" Blake I'll turn it around on her and ask her about _her_ love life! Ha!

I walked home by myself because Yang went to the shopping center to ask about jobs. She _really_ wants that motorcycle. I saw her doodling bikes during math. I guess I can't expect any help on the homework from her for a little while.

Dad dropped the pan when he was pulling the meatloaf out of the oven, so Zwei got some juicy extra dinner tonight! Luckily Dad didn't burn himself or anything. We ordered a pizza. Apparently neither miscellaneous acts of clumsiness nor extra cheese count as a deviation from his diet.

That's all for today! XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - I forgot to ask Blake when she wanted to study for our test on Friday so I texted her. Thursday after school! :) Going to try for another 'A'!

* * *

P.P.S. - I was pulling out stuff out of my backpack to start working on my homework and I found a letter. I don't know where it came from. It must have been shoved into my locker and got mixed up with all my notebooks and textbooks because I didn't see anyone around my backpack today. I opened it up and there was a drawing of a rose in marker and a little poem.

"Rubies are red, so is a rose. The more that I see you, the more my love grows."

So I guess someone has a crush on me? He's going to be so disappointed when he finds out I'm gay.

Now I have _two_ things I need to hide from Yang, because if she finds _this_... I'm scared to even think about all the teasing.

* * *

P.P.P.S. - Telling Weiss about the letter may have been a mistake. She seems almost as excited about it as I feel Yang would be.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. Goodnight! XOXO :3


	20. November 5th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Thursday, November 5th.

When I woke up I knew it was going to be a lousy day. My head felt kind of clunky and my nose was all stuffed up and I was even more tired than usual. For some reason it I always seem to get sick in November. Although last year it was in October and the year before that it was January, but on average it's in November. But, it wasn't like I couldn't go to school today because tomorrow is my history test and I had to study with Blake and Jaune still won't ask Pyrrha out for whatever reason (the stinky goofball!) and Weiss would be worried about me if I didn't show up all of the sudden, so I had to get up.

It was so cold today! I think being sick made it feel worse, but it was still _freezing_ on our walk to B acon High School. I'm surprised they haven't fixed the sign yet. I suspect Mr. Port has something to do with it. I had to wear my big boots and my heavy sweater, and wrapped my red scarf around my neck so the wind wouldn't blow down my shirt. Yang, of course, wore shorts and a sweatshirt. Maybe if I exercised more I wouldn't be so cold.

Blake instantly knew something was wrong with me as soon as she saw me. It probably had to do with the fact that I had my head on the desk and was almost asleep when she walked in. She asked how I was feeling and I said that I woke up with a cold and then she asked if I wanted to skip the studying session so I could go home and sleep but there was no way I wasn't going to spend more time with Blake so I told her I'd manage. That seemed to make her happy and worried at the same time. We agreed to meet up in front of the school to study.

I got to English early for once, and I don't understand how because it felt like I was walking in slow motion all day today, but I sat down and started getting my stuff ready and was waiting for Jaune to show up when Cardin walked in and stood in front of me. I was like "What do you want?" and he said "Are you liking the 'art' I've been leaving for you?" so I guess he's the one who's been drawing penises on my desk the last couple of days. I said "Those are yours? I think you should see a doctor." but that made him angry and he said "Get used to it, dork. You're on my shit list." then he pulled out a big marker and wrote 'CUNT' on my desk. If I wasn't sick I'd probably have reacted, but instead I just sneezed in his face. I didn't mean to, it just happened conveniently. So now I guess I'm Cardin's #1 enemy.

Anyway, I covered up the marker with my notebook so Mr. Port wouldn't blame Jaune again and then snoozed a little while I waited for Jaune. After class I tried to convince him to ask Pyrrha out but he keeps saying he's waiting for the right time and the right way and I'm starting to lose my patience. When he left I tried to convince _Pyrrha_ to just ask _him_ , but she said she could never do that, because if she scared him and he said no it would change their relationship too much. I might have to take matters into my own hands; I have a plan, but I'll need Nora's permission first.

Yang was texting all through Math today. I'm amazed she didn't get caught. I was busy focusing on trying not to fall asleep, but we've been going over Riemann sums for the last two weeks and I get it already! My headache didn't help. I got lucky and the class ended _just_ before I literally fainted from boredom.

Weiss wanted to talk more about the letter, even though I kept saying that I wasn't feeling good and didn't want to talk about it. She keeps insisting that it could be from Blake, but I seriously doubt it. Weiss can't seem to accept that Blake isn't gay like me so why would she write a love letter to a girl? Weiss said "Well it was obviously for _you_ , it mentions rubies and roses! Who do you think it's from?" and I shrugged and said I didn't know, but he was looking in the wrong place. She asked to see it, but I didn't bring it to school (obviously), so she made me promise I'd bring it tomorrow. She said she wants to "examine" it. Then she switched and asked if I was going to say anything to Blake during our study date and I was like "Yeah, I'll say 'When was the attack on Port Arthur?'" and Weiss got a little frustrated and said "Not like that! Are you going to ask her to hang out or anything?" and I said no because I'm sick and we have a test tomorrow and I don't want to bother her. Weiss said I make her want to tear her hair out.

Then I asked her why _she_ wasn't dating anyone and she got really quiet and crossed her arms and said "I just haven't had time yet..." so I was like "See? It's not as easy as you keep saying." and then she said "Want to bet? I'll show you how easy it is to ask someone! I bet I can get a date by the end of next week!" and I said "I'll take that bet!"

We'll establish the terms and conditions later tonight. This'll show her!

Then, when I was getting my stuff from my locker after school I found another letter.

"You are my rose, you are my jewel,

Your wits and beauty make me drool.

You are my heart, dear Ruby,

and I deeply love you, truly.

This person obviously hasn't been through Port's poetry section. I think _I_ could write better poetry than that. Who puts the word 'drool' in a poem? Gross! This one was so much worse than the last one, and I don't like the idea of some guy _drooling_ over me. Ew ew ew ew ew!

Then I was late to meet up with Blake so I apologized and said that I found a stupid joke love note in my locker. Blake suddenly said that she just remembered she forgot something and rushed into the school, asking me to wait for just a second, so I got to stand in the cold for a few minutes before she got back. Then _finally_ we started walking to the coffee shop to study.

We got our usual drinks (caramel macchiato for me!) and sat at the table in the back by the window and started studying. There was a lot of stuff to cover, and I was kind of feeling out of it thanks to my cold, so by the time we finished it was dark outside. And even _colder!_ My teeth were chattering so loudly as we walked back to school; I was really embarrassed. Blake laughed about it though. She wished me luck with my cold and everything and then we split up and I went home.

It was really fun, even if I had a headache the entire time and could barely think. I like spending time with Blake. She's so smart and funny and nice. I bet she gets a perfect score tomorrow!

I made it home just in time for dinner. Spaghetti and meatballs with toast!

Now I'm going to go to bed so I can get some sleep for the test.

Goodnight! XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - Weiss wants me to bring _both_ letters. She's enjoying this more than I am (wouldn't be difficult). I had to remind her I was sick and going to sleep so she'd stop texting me about the letters and the study session. Being sick stinks.

* * *

Hey baby sis! I came in to check on you 'cause I heard you weren't feeling well and what do I find? Your diary! It's cute, I like it. And what's this? You have a crush on Blake? Wow! And I knew you weren't straight, Ruby. I can't believe you thought I'd freak! It's like you don't know me at all! Don't worry, your secrets are safe with your ol' big sis Yang! ;P

And those letters are so scandalous. See you tomorrow! Feel better! – Yang ;P

* * *

P.P.S. - I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and found my diary on the floor. I guess my life is over.


	21. November 6th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Friday, November 6th.

My head was trying to split open when I woke up this morning, but even though I really really wanted to stay in bed and sleep I had to get up because today was the history test that Blake and I studied for yesterday, and Oobleck's not the kind of teacher who'll let me retake it just because I was sick. He gave us a long lecture about it a couple weeks ago when Reese was 'absent' and tried to take a quiz the day after. It lasted a whole five minutes, which with Oobleck is the equivalent of like a week's worth of material, so he's very strict about tests.

Yang was giggling when I sat down for breakfast, but I was feeling too sick to be mad at her. I guess I always knew she'd find my diary eventually, so I can't say I'm super surprised that it finally happened. I just hope she'll wait until I'm feeling better to start teasing me. When I asked her if she was going to make a big deal about it she just winked. Future-Ruby is in for some serious teasing. I'll take teasing over being sick any time.

I was really happy it was cold today because it made my nose run which was a relief because it's been clogged since before I went to bed yesterday so it was nice to finally _breathe_. They fixed the sign so it says "Beacon" again. I just went straight to history and tried to study a little bit before the test started.

Blake got there just before Oobleck, so we didn't have a lot of time to talk before we had to start on the test. I didn't think it was too hard, but there were _a lot_ of questions and my head was hurting and I was really tired so it was kind of hard to focus. I finished with a minute to spare before the bell rang, and had just sat down at my desk when it went off. I wanted to talk to Blake about the test but she bolted out the door without saying anything to me. I thought that she must have had another test; it is that time of year, and she's really determined to get good grades. She told me once the college she wants to go to requires a 3.8 GPA or higher. And I was sick anyway so I didn't feel _too_ bad that we didn't get to talk. I'd be upset with myself if I got her sick, after all.

My English class was mostly empty. I guess everyone is sick. Cardin wasn't there, so my desk was nice and clean, which was a nice change. Mr. Port was in a bad mood, but after seeing that there was almost no one in class he decided to watch a movie. I took the welcome opportunity to rest a little. Jaune was nice enough to wake me up when the bell rang, and then we talked while we walked to our next classes. Pyrrha wasn't here today (sick like everyone else), so Jaune and I talked about how he could ask her out. He doesn't think it'd work: he's _convinced_ that he has no chance and she'll just say no, and then it would make their friendship strained and awkward. I almost blurted the truth, but restrained myself at the last second. But our conversation did persuade me that I need to take matters into my own hands.

Yang wouldn't stop smiling at me in Math. It was so distracting! When the teacher wasn't looking I threw my pencil at Yang and hit her square in the forehead. I wish she wouldn't be so smug about the fact that she found my diary; that's the most annoying part, that she won't let me forget that she's read it.

I remembered to bring the letters for Weiss, and she read them over and over before class started. She got really excited and said that based on the handwriting they were from two different people, which only confuses me. _Two_ guys have crushes on me? I didn't even think I was that... attractive. Especially not when I'm sick and snot is oozing out my nose and my eyes are all puffy and I'm pale and sweaty and can't think. I don't even talk to that many guys, so who could _possibly_ have a crush on _me_? I don't have the mental energy for this right now. I wish they'd just come up and ask, so I could let them down gently. But if they surprised me I'd probably be too surprised to come up with something gentle and say something like "Uh... no. You're not my type." which isn't really gentle at all and I'd hurt their feelings and then _I'd_ feel bad. Maybe I could give them a pity date so they didn't feel bad? Or is that just as bad? Never mind, I hope they don't ask me. I can deal with letters better than I can deal with people.

During class I watched Blake because I wanted to be sure that she was feeling okay after how she rushed out of History. She and Sun were laughing together in the back of the room. I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned him at lunch or anything. Blake caught me watching and smiled and waved, so I guessed she was feeling okay. Then I reminded Weiss that she has exactly a week to find a date, and she _insisted_ she could and that it would be easy and _then_ I would see that all I had to do was ask Blake. I can't wait to be as smug as Yang when it's next Friday and she hasn't asked anyone. She'll see it isn't easy!

Since Pyrrha and Ren were sick and Yang got a detention in her history class it was just me, Blake, and Nora at lunch. I thought it was the perfect chance to begin the discussion of Mission: Arkos! I named it after the combination of Jaune's and Pyrrha's last names! My plan is to have Ren ask Pyrrha out in front of Jaune, and then Pyrrha would say "Oh no, sorry, I'm already with someone..." and then she'd pretend that Jaune is her boyfriend so Ren wouldn't 'feel bad', and then Jaune will be like "What are you talking about Pyrrha we're not dating" and then Pyrrha will say "Of course we are, Jaune, you're taking me to the movies this weekend!" and by then Jaune will hopefully have gotten the idea and say "Oh, right, of course. I can't believe I forgot!" and then Ren will pretend that he's really brokenhearted and then I'll give Jaune a thumbs-up and maybe he'll get the hint that that would be the perfect time to ask Pyrrha and he'll say "So Pyrrha... about that movie this weekend?" and she'll say "Yes?" and Jaune will say "Do you actually want to go?" and Pyrrha will say "Of course!" and then they'll be dating!

It's perfect! I'm a genius!

Nora's already agreed and volunteered Ren. She thinks it's a great idea! Blake was kind of quiet but said I had her full support. Mission: Arkos begins next week! I'll have to let Pyrrha and Ren know somehow. I'll type up the script tonight after dinner.

Thankfully, there wasn't a letter in my locker today.

Yang had an interview today, so we split up at the sign and I started walking home. I saw Blake on the way but she was on the phone so I just waved at her. She smiled and waved back and shouted that she hoped I felt better. She's really thoughtful.

I took a nap as soon as I got home, but woke up in time for lasagna! Dad makes the best lasagna; he adds sausage chunks and extra cheese, so it's super tasty! Yang got back from her interview while I was setting the table and said it went really well! Hopefully she gets the job! Then she'll have less time to go snooping through my diary :(

Let the weekend begin! Hopefully my cold goes away XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - Weiss texted me saying she's going to try and get some free time next weekend, so maybe we'll hang out then! Yay!

* * *

Hey! I do not snoop, I investigate. And I totally agree with Weiss, you should just go for it and ask her. You never know 'til you try, right? Love you sis! :P

I could always just tell her for you ;)

\- Your best big sister ;P


	22. November 13th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

Happy Birthday to **Cuda77** and **Daedelus' Muse**!

* * *

Today is Friday, November 13th.

Even though Friday the 13th is supposed to be really unlucky and everything, I think today was probably the luckiest day of my life. It was just amazing and stupendous and wonderful and everything and I've pretty much been over the moon since the beginning of the day and I'm so excited for the weekend I can't wait! Today is the _best!_

I woke up perfectly on time and I wasn't even a little tired and it was a bright sunny morning and I felt like I _knew_ something awesome was going to happen today but that's probably me just reflecting on today and projecting it backwards, but it was warm today and I got to wear some of my favorite clothes because I did laundry yesterday so after my shower (all the hot water was mine!) I wore my black and gray sweatshirt with the red hood that fits _perfectly_ and its sleeves always stay up when I want them to and then my new(ish) black leggings that are warm and smooth and feel _great_ and I wore my lucky boots just because I could and I remembered my _camera_ today which was good because I've been forgetting it recently and today had so many photographable moments!

I was in a really good mood in history so when Blake walked in I was really happy to see her and everything and her face lit up and she smiled at me which made me feel all fluffy on the inside and we talked for a bit before class officially started and I asked if she had plans for the weekend and she said she was "working on some" which I was happy about because this past week or so she'd seemed kind of down for some reason and I was worried that I got her sick (oh no!) but if she was going to go somewhere it meant she was feeling better and she seemed excited about it so I was happy for her. Then Oobleck came in and ruined everything by giving us a history project that's due before winter break. Total mood killer. Oh well. Maybe Blake and I can collaborate! :)

Today was the day that Mission: Arkos was scheduled for, and it couldn't have gone better! Right after class, before Cardin could come over and try and intimidate me for the fifth time this week (still not working!), I grabbed Jaune and we rushed outside (he almost forgot his backpack!) and Pyrrha was there and she winked at me so I knew the plan was a 'Go!' and then Jaune and I met up with her and right on cue Ren showed up and asked Pyrrha if she'd go to dinner with him on Saturday and I was carefully watching Jaune and the way his eyes were so wide and shocked let me know that the plan was working as intended. Then Pyrrha did her part (I think she was the only one who read the script) and latched onto Jaune and said "No, sorry Ren, I can't. I'm going out with Jaune and it wouldn't be fair to him." and Jaune was like "Huh what?" and then I winked at Ren and he said "Oh darn. Are you sure?" and Pyrrha said, "Yes, I'm sure. Jaune and I are seeing a movie on Saturday. Sorry!" and Jaune was like "Huh what?" which was not part of the script but it worked out because Ren recovered well and was like "Shucks." and walked away and then Jaune turned to Pyrrha and I and was like "Why did you say that, Pyrrha? We're not dating."

I gave him that look I've been practicing in the mirror for the last few days (the one that says "This is a perfect time to ask her out you idiot") and he went "Oh." then looked at Pyrrha and said "Do you... actually want to go to a movie tomorrow?" and I nearly exploded with excitement when Pyrrha said (just like on the script) "I'd love to! Text me later and we'll work out the details!" and Jaune was like "Oh okay." and then turned and left. I hugged her, I just had to. I'm so happy it all worked out! All according to plan! The practices we had earlier this week really paid off! It's a lot easier without Nora playing the part of Jaune...

Now they're going to be dating and be a super cute cuddly-wuddly couple and it's super adorable and I'm so happy!

I barely had time to get a picture of Pyrrha's _sooo_ pretty happy-face before I had to rush over to Math. I almost didn't make it. Then I let Yang know about the whole thing and we both giggled and then we got yelled at by the teacher. No detentions though! I guess Friday the 13th is actually my _lucky_ day!

I made sure to get to Science early because today was the day that Weiss had to have a date by and I wanted to have my camera ready for when she came in and told me that she couldn't do it, that she hadn't found a date and I was right all along that asking someone out was really really hard. She didn't even have to ask another _girl_ out; she could ask a guy, and that's _totally_ easier than what she wanted me to do!

BUT when Weiss came in she was smirking and sat down next to me and leaned over and said "I did it. I told you it wasn't too hard." but I demanded proof and an explanation and she said pulled out her phone and showed me a text message from _Neptune_ that said "Can't wait for our date on Sunday!". I wanted more details but the teacher came in right as Weiss got to the part about how she essentially cornered him in the library so I made her promise that she'd call me later and tell me all about it. She said she would but only if I _asked out Blake_ but I was still super nervous so I stalled until the bell rang and then made my escape. I'd love to be able to just walk up to Blake and say "Blake! Go out with me!" but I can imagine _so many things_ going wrong! Like, what if she's talking to someone, and they both think I'm talking to them? That would be so awkward!

When I told everyone at lunch about Pyrrha (who was eating with Jaune :P) and Weiss they were all really happy and Nora hugged Ren and screamed something about how he was such a good actor but she'd never forgive him if he ever _actually_ asked a girl out. He took it all in stride, nonchalantly saying "Okay." while slowly eating his chicken tenders. His stoicism is admirable. Yang elbowed me and said "See? Weiss was right! So why don't you just ask your _crush_?" and I think I nearly died the way my heart jerked because she just spilled the beans that I had a crush to the whole lunch group (besides Pyrrha) and Blake was _right there_! I tried to play it cool and say "Ha ha, I don't think they'd go for it..." but Nora cut me off before I could say anything by diving across the table and squeezing me and shouting "You have a _crush_ Ruby?! We'll need to make another plan! I'll be the sneaky double agent with a thick mustache who saves the hero at the last second! Ren'll be the villain!" so I guess I got lucky (on Friday the 13th, again!) with the distraction so Yang couldn't make me talk about my crush.

Blake was pretty quiet the entire time. I thought that maybe she was still a little sick or worried about a test or something or maybe she was just having a bad day but it kind of made me sad that she didn't participate in the discussion very much. I was going to ask her if something was wrong but she left as soon as the bell rang and I didn't get a chance.

But the real story is what happened after school! :)

I was waiting for Yang by the sign (she's been taking forever recently), and right when I was about to call her and tell her I was leaving without her she showed up out of nowhere and said that we were taking a different route home than usual. I was like "Okay, whatever" because it was the weekend and it wasn't like I was in a rush, so we walked the long way around the school to the back by the fields and then all of the sudden Yang stopped and when I asked why we weren't walking anymore she said to "just wait for a second".

About thirty seconds later _Blake_ shows up and she looked really nervous and _I_ was getting nervous because why had _Yang_ brought me to where Blake was and I was scared she was going to spill my secret BUT THEN Blake walked right up to me and said "Ruby I like you and I want to go out with you!" or something like that I can't really remember because I'm pretty sure my brain turned to mush in that moment.

It was like nothing else existed in the world except for Blake looking at me with that cute little smile she has when she's a little worried about something and those big golden eyes and she kept opening and closing her hands and I could only stare at her with my mouth open. I probably looked like an idiot.

I think Blake got the wrong impression from my stare because then she said "I know that you have a crush on someone and that you might not think of me the same way I think of you but I'm _really_ hoping you'll give me just a small chance, even only one, and let me take you out to a movie and dinner. Please? If... if you don't want to... it's okay. I won't be mad or anything. I just... I _have_ to ask. I've been thinking about you for a long time, and I really want to spend more time with you."

And I was still stuck there staring like a statue and I couldn't think and all I could really hear was my heart exploding and all I could feel was my stomach flipping upside down and sideways and I think my knees were starting to give out and I was really just too shocked (in a happy way) to say anything.

Then I guess Blake thought I was going to refuse because she said "Oh. Never mind. Forget I said anything. This was stupid. Sorry. I'm sorry. Just forget everything. I... I have to go." and then she turned around and started walking away and my brain got jump-started and was like 'RUBY WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOT' so I ran after her and screamed "Blake!" and she turned around just as I smacked into her and gave her a big hug and I said "Yes! Yes! I'll go out with you!" and I looked up at her and she was smiling and crying at the same time which was just _too cute_ I squeezed her tighter and we just hugged for a little while.

She was so soft and warm and smelled like flowers I was really sad when Yang came over and peeled us apart and said "We have to get home now or Dad will think something happened to us..." so we said goodbye to Blake and I promised that we'd talk later to set up our date.

It makes me _soooooooooooo_ happy to be able to write that.

Blake and I have a date! Blake and I have a date! Blake and I have a date!

No matter how many times I write it or think about it it still doesn't seem real!

Blake and I have a date!

Yang explained a lot of it on our walk home.

She felt really bad when I yelled at her about how she was treating Blake without even knowing her, so after Blake started eating lunch with us Yang went to apologize. Yang quickly realized that Blake is _awesome_ and they became super close bestest best friends, so they talked all the time (even during class!). One of the days I wasn't at school Blake was hanging out with Yang and mentioned that she was a lesbian. Yang, being super cool, was okay with this, and they started talking about girls and stuff and Blake told her that she had a crush on me. Yang tried to convince Blake to ask me out, but Blake said she was too afraid of ruining our friendship and was worried that I wouldn't feel the same about her, so Yang started to look for clues about _me_.

She said she found my diary back in October! I smacked her on the arm for that. She said I should have chosen somewhere more secure than my _sock drawer!_

Anyway, Yang knew I was both gay _and_ had a crush on Blake, so she started to press harder to get Blake to ask me out. At Pyrrha's Halloween party she was talking with Blake and Blake said that she wished she could ask me to dance so Yang came over and grabbed me. Then Yang managed to convince her to write me an anonymous love letter and leave it in my locker, but said that Blake felt so silly after writing the letter that she decided not to give it to me, so Yang put it in my backpack. Then Yang wrote another letter and put it in my locker.

So that explains why the first letter was cute and lovely and the second one was... not.

Then when Yang 'found' my diary she tried to convince _me_ to ask _Blake_ out because she saw that my best friend was trying the same thing and was hoping I'd go for it.

And Yang said Blake decided today was the day to ask because I said I had a crush at lunch and she was scared I'd start dating someone else, so they worked together and got me to go to the back of the school so Blake could ask.

All I can think about right now is that _Blake and I have a date!_

Since it was warm today Dad brought home some steaks and we grilled! I _love_ grilled steaks, and Dad's the best at cooking them. He always says that the way I eat them isn't very ladylike, but at least I'm not the one who always gets barbecue sauce all over my chin every time ;)

Blake called me and we set up a time for Sunday! We talked for over an hour! I hope I didn't sound as nervous and excited and nerdy and weird as I felt!

Weiss called and told me about how she asked Neptune. As nice as it would have been to be smug about Weiss not getting a date, I actually feel much happier that she got one! I can't wait to hear about it!

Today was such a great day! I got a picture of Jaune's face when Ren asked Pyrrha out, one of Pyrrha's face after Jaune asked _her_ out, one of Weiss' victorious expression, and one of Nora climbing on Ren.

I'm almost too excited to sleep! XOXOXO :3

* * *

You're welcome! :P  
Honestly, watching you two lovebirds circling around each other for the last few weeks has been so exhausting!  
Love ya!  
\- your awesome big sister Yang! ;P


	23. November 15th

**Disclaimer:** _Does anyone even Read This?  
_

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Sunday, November 15th.

I had such a wonderful day today! I feel really melty right now, like I could just melt into a little puddle of happiness and I'd be a blob of Ruby on the floor. But what if someone stepped on me? That would be gross, for the both of us.

Anyway, today was the day of my date with Blake, and I was so excited and nervous that I woke up at eight in the morning and couldn't get back to sleep! I even woke up before Dad! He was really surprised to see me eating cereal when he came out of his bedroom. He asked me why I was up so early and I _almost_ told him that it was because I was nervous about my date with Blake but then I remembered that I haven't come out to him yet so the whole 'I'm going on a date with the girl I have a crush on' would have been a bit too much to swallow so quickly so I told him I was really excited to see a movie with my friends later today and then he asked "What movie?" and I was like, "Uh... you know, that new one!" because Blake hadn't told me which movie we're going to see yet and Dad was like "Okay whatever have fun!" and kind of just moved on. It's hard to talk to him before he has his coffee.

Then I had to take Zwei for a walk which stunk because it was _really_ cold outside today and windy so I was wrapped up in my big winter coat that makes me feel like a marshmallow and my scarf and my hat and my boots and my gloves. It felt like I could barely move, but I was warm so it didn't matter! Anyway, while I was walking Zwei Weiss called and wanted to talk to me about her date yesterday and there was no way I didn't want to hear about that but between the wind and my super-thick hat she had to repeat herself a lot. Also it's hard to hold a phone with gloves on.

Weiss said that Neptune (who's admittedly pretty hot for a guy and everything, although he seems to date a lot of people) offered to take her to a dinner at the new restaurant that opened up downtown that seems really hoighty-toighty so she dressed to the nines to get ready. She sent me a picture yesterday (which didn't make any sense at the time but now I get it) and she was wearing a really fancy white dress and these cool silver earrings that looked really classy and her hair was styled nice and stuff and she was wearing pretty makeup. I was almost a _little_ attracted to her, she looked so beautiful, but Blake is like twenty times cuter and every time she smiles I can't breathe so Blake is infinitely prettier (sorry Weiss). Anyway, Neptune came to pick her up and was five minutes late (which with Weiss is a big no-no) and he was wearing his usual red jacket-sweatshirt-thing but with some nice jeans and a shirt and tie and Weiss said he was even wearing the same shoes he wore to school so she was kind of disappointed that he didn't put forth the same amount of effort that she did.

She said that at the restaurant Neptune was really awkward and took forever to choose what he wanted to eat so she got kind of annoyed and ordered for him. I can't imagine that scored a lot of points with her. Weiss said his small talk was boring and he didn't ever mention how nice she looked, and that he didn't even try to pretend to share her interests. She said the nicest thing he did was pay the bill, because normally guys want _her_ to pay because "she's rich". I think she's been spending too much time around the wrong kind of people. She did say that the food was really good though. Maybe I'll make her take me there sometime :)

I asked if there was going to be a second date and she said "Yeah, probably." and when I asked why after she had such a lousy time she said "He asked nicely and he's got such _gorgeous_ blue eyes..." and I'm really glad she couldn't see my massive eye-roll because she probably would've gotten mad at me. Oh well, if she's happy I'm happy.

Then when I was about to hang up I said "Bye Weiss! Wish me luck on my date tonight!" and Weiss said "Hold on, _what_?!" and that was the moment I realized I hadn't told Weiss that Blake and I were going on a date tonight so I had to quickly bring her up to speed and she seemed kind of annoyed that I didn't tell her but she said "Well, I hope you have fun! You'd _better_ tell me all about it afterwards!" and I promised I would.

By then I was home and Yang was up so I made her help me pick out an outfit to wear on my date tonight. She was like "Ruby, your date isn't until five and it's 10:30. Why are you getting ready _now_?" and I was like "Because I'm nervous Yang why don't you understand that everything has to be perfectly perfect or else I'll make a fool of myself and Blake will have a bad time and then she'll hate me and she'll never talk to me and then my life will be ruined!" but Yang just laughed and told me to relax but I seriously couldn't so she helped me pick out what I was going to wear. We decided on my nice jeans and my cutest sweatshirt and I _insisted_ on my lucky boots even though Yang said they didn't work well and she lent me some jewelry I could wear and when I looked at myself in the mirror I was like "Wow, I look good." but then Yang took a picture and sent it to Blake and I got mad because she totally ruined the surprise so then I had to choose a whole new outfit!

Blake said I looked cute though :)

Which meant I couldn't change my outfit because Blake liked it. I hid all the clothes in my closet so Zwei couldn't shed on them and then proceeded to freak out for the next few hours because _I was going to go on a date with Blake_ and I couldn't stop thinking about all the possible things that could go wrong but then my brain would be like "No! It's going to be perfect and beautiful and you're going to have a great time!" so then I'd calm down but then I'd freak out again because I was so nervous.

So after all that suddenly it was time for the date and I got a text from Blake saying she was coming over and I hadn't even showered yet so I took the fastest shower of my life because it would be so embarrassing if she showed up and I was still in the shower and then I got dressed and then I just sat in my room not doing anything (almost literally not moving) until I heard the doorbell. Then I rushed downstairs and met Blake at the door and she asked "Ready to go?" and before I could say 'Yes' Yang yelled out "Yeah! She's been waiting for you all day!" and I was like "Shut up, Yang!" but Blake laughed so I couldn't be too mad.

She and I walked to her car and she started driving and she said that I looked really nice and I had to look out the window so she couldn't see me blush and I could only barely mutter a "Thanks, you do too..." and I felt stupid because I should have complimented her first. We got to the theater (the really nice one with reclining seats!) pretty quickly and got our tickets and Blake asked if I wanted any snacks but I said no because she said she'd buy them for me and I didn't want her to waste so much money on overpriced popcorn. Our seats were really good, right in the middle and high up, and we both made jokes about the silly previews while we waited for the movie to start.

The movie was pretty good! The latest installment of the leading superhero franchise, and I had been wanting to see it for a couple months. There was only one tiny problem, and it wasn't really a problem.

Sometime in the second act Blake reached over and held my hand until the movie was over.

Basically I couldn't breathe for the rest of the movie, and I have no idea what happened at the end because the entire time all my attention was focused on the feeling of Blake's hand on mine and I was worrying that my hand was probably really sweaty and felt gross and if I moved Blake would notice and she'd think that I didn't want to hold hands with her which totally isn't true I was really enjoying it but I didn't want her to think that I didn't like it.

Her hand was so soft and warm, and every so often she'd squeeze mine and my heart would start beating faster and so one time I squeezed back and I _think_ I heard Blake chortle or something, I'm not really sure. I like holding hands with Blake. I was sad when the movie ended and she let go.

Then we went to dinner and we talked all about the movie and I had to ask her to explain what happened at the end and she kind of smiled and said she wasn't really sure. Then our food arrived and we ate and we sampled each others' food a little and we talked about what kind of food we liked and Blake said she really likes seafood. We talked about school and made jokes about Oobleck and Jaune and Pyrrha and then I paid for dinner (because she paid for the movie) even though Blake said she wanted to pay and then she drove me home.

As I was about to get out Blake said "Hey, Ruby?" and I turned around and she was chewing on her lip like she really wanted to say something and there was a tiny little thought in the back of my mind that said "She's going to kiss you!" and I could feel my face and chest heat up but then Blake said "Thanks for coming with me." and I said "No problem! I had a ton of fun, Blake! See you at school tomorrow!" and then I got out and waved as she drove away.

I wish she had kissed me.

Then I called Weiss and was going to tell her everything but she didn't pick up so I guess I'll just tell her tomorrow because it's kind of late now and I don't want to wake her up or anything.

Before I went to bed I made sure to text Blake and thank her for taking me to the movies.

I bet it's going to take me forever to get to sleep tonight. My heart is still beating like 6000 times faster than normal and I can't stop smiling.

Goodnight! XOXOXO :3

* * *

Ruby and Blake, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g! ;P  
Glad your date was fun!  
-Yang ;P

* * *

STOP READING MY DIARY, YANG!


	24. November 16th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is there will be notes hidden here maybe Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Monday, November 16th.

I was so tired when I woke up this morning. The most likely cause is my lack of adequate sleep last night due to analyzing every single detail of everything I said, thought, or did on my date with Blake yesterday. I even _dreamed_ about the date, but at least in my dream I smelled good. I think. I can't usually smell anything in my dreams. Also, in my dream, Blake and I kissed :)

Not getting a lot of sleep meant that my morning moved very slowly, so Yang beat me to the shower today so I didn't get any hot water. I wonder if I'd get hot water if she cut her hair, because that _has_ to be the reason she takes so long. Dad left us a note saying he wouldn't be home until late, so he wanted us to order a pizza.

Thankfully it wasn't as cold today as it was yesterday, but it was still windy so I wore my long red scarf and wrapped it all the way around my head so I almost couldn't see out of it. Yang laughed at me and took a picture and sent it to Blake. I wasn't even mad, because I was warm. Yang has her thick mane of hair, and I have my scarf. That's how it works.

I don't know how to describe how I felt when I got to history class and saw Blake. I know I felt happy, because I'm always happy when I see Blake, but today I was _extra_ happy and my stomach felt really bubbly (but not like gassy or anything, gross) and I couldn't stop smiling but it was so much _more_ than just 'extra happy' and I don't know what to call it. Anyway I sat next to her and said "Hi" and she said "Hi, Ruby." and we both kind of giggled a little and I could feel myself blush and Blake kept pushing her hair out of her eyes (which was so cute I had to stop for a second and remember to breathe) but then, as usual, class started and the moment was completely ruined.

Towards the end of class Oobleck started talking about the history project and said that it was a partner project and I crossed my fingers, my toes, my legs, my arms, and my eyes (I probably looked weird) that I'd be partnered with Blake, and I guess I sent my wishes to the right place because Oobleck said that we could choose our partners. Blake and I both looked at each other at the same time and we asked each other at the same time and it was really funny and we both laughed at the same time. It's crazy when things happen like that.

Then class ended and we waved goodbye to each other and I got to go to English, which was just so _wonderful_ today...

We had a substitute today, which stinks because Mr. Port is like my favorite teacher (or his mustache is, haven't decided which is in control), so that translates as the class having free reign to do whatever they want with no consequences. And my class is not the kind of class that would take the opportunity to discuss the major themes in our current novel in order to be better prepared for our test which is next week. Jerks.

The room was really noisy and I was just trying to read the book and Jaune was trying to study for his Math class and some people just got up and left and the substitute didn't _do anything_. It was really frustrating. Then Cardin came over, because I guess he didn't have anything better to do, and he stood in front of my desk as usual, but he didn't pull out his marker. He leaned in real close to me and had this ugly smile on and he said "So, pipsqueak, guess what I heard?" and I decided to humor him because it would have probably sped up the process and then he said "My buddy Russell is a waiter, and he said something really interesting happened at his job yesterday. He said that he saw you and that freak Belladonna having dinner together." and I got kind of nervous and said "Yeah, we'd just seen a movie and were hungry." and Cardin said "Oh? You two freak-holes saw a movie together? I bet you ugly queers touched yourselves the whole time. Huh? Do you touch yourself in class too, like that _bitch_ Belladonna?"

When he said that, something inside me snapped. I think Jaune saw me get really angry (which _never_ happens) because he stood up and got between me and Cardin and told Cardin to go away. Cardin must still be a little afraid of Jaune (since he punched him and everything) because he backed off. He was like "Whatever, Chode Arc." but then he said to me "I know about you and Belladonna, pipsqueak, so you better watch out."

I'm going to rip his face off if he keeps talking about Blake like that.

Yang could tell I was angry when I sat next to her in Math. She kept asking me what was wrong but I kept saying "nothing" because Cardin is nothing. He's just a jerk. She promised not to read my diary anymore so she won't find out unless I tell her. Or Jaune tells her. At least that's the way she _should_ find out because I don't really trust her to not read my diary.

Yang, don't worry. I've got it covered.

As if that morning wasn't bad enough, when I got to Science Weiss was already there and she looked soooooooo mad. Even more mad than the first day when I spilled food coloring on her white shoes and she screamed at me so loud even the teacher was afraid to tell her to be quiet. She looked really _really_ _ **really**_ mad, so I braced myself for the nuclear detonation as I sat down and said "Hey, Weiss." and I tried to smile but really I was afraid I was going to die. She looked at me and said "Oh. Hi, Ruby. How are you?" and I was like "Why are you so mad?" and Weiss said that her dad took away her phone because she was "spending too much time talking and not enough time studying or practicing", so that explains why she didn't pick up when I called her yesterday.

Since she was in a really bad mood I just tried my best to not mess up anything on our lab today and I let her do whatever she wanted and did whatever she told me to and tried to stay out of her way. Sometimes when you're mad you just want to be mad and it's not like I could do anything to make her happier so I just tried not to make things worse. When we were almost done she asked me about my date, and was nice enough to keep her voice low so no one could overhear us. I told her about all of it and how Blake held my hand and I almost told her how I wanted Blake to kiss me when I was getting out of the car but I didn't because I remembered that Blake was _in the room_ and had this weird feeling that she'd hear me, and I don't want to rush things or anything and potentially ruin this. Also Sun's here and I still don't know what's going on with them because they seem like really really close friends (to the point of a couple) and... I'm just really confused.

Anyway, Weiss said she was happy for me even though she didn't _sound_ like she was happy. I'm going to have to do something to make her feel better, because I hate seeing my friends (especially my best friend) be mad or sad, but I don't think a plate of cookies is going to cut it. Maybe I should try to find Neptune and tell him to do something special for her. But then again, he probably thinks he already _did_.

Isn't Sun friends with Neptune?

Blake and I sat next to each other at lunch and we almost held hands but Yang winked at me and that scared me so I didn't do anything.

Yang had another interview so I had to walk home by myself again. Then I had to walk Zwei and by then I was getting really sick of the wind but my scarf was doing a good job of keeping my face from freezing off so it wasn't the worst.

Our pizza was late because the delivery guy got lost, but the pizza was still warm so it all turned out okay. Dad got home just in time to snatch the last couple of pieces before Yang could eat them.

Blake and I texted a bunch after dinner but we had to stop because we both had a lot of homework. We decided to wait until next week to work out our project schedule.

When I finished the bulk of my work I started planning out 'Mission: Ice Queen'! Preliminary predictions are positive!

Going to get a good night's sleep tonight! XOXOXO :3

* * *

P.S. - I miss Weiss' texts :(

P.P.S. - But I don't miss Yang's little notes! :)


	25. November 20th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Friday, November 20th.

I hate Cardin! Why does he have to be such a stupid jerk! He's the worst!

He told my whole English class I was a lesbian.

I was late to class because Blake and I were talking about when we were going to work on our history project and when I walked into English Jaune gave me a look like he was really sorry about something and then I noticed that the whole class was dead silent and I turned around and everyone was looking at me and then Cardin yelled "'Sup fag? Finished finger-fucking Blake Queer-adonna?" and everyone laughed at me.

We had a sub again because Mr. Port's kids keep getting sick and they didn't do anything to try and get everyone to stop laughing at me. The class was totally out of control and I just wanted to read the book but people kept coming up to me and asking me stupid questions.

Flynt asked me if it was true Blake gave me herpes.

Bolin asked me how many fingers I preferred to use or have used on me.

Nolan wanted to know if I was top or bottom or if that even mattered because girls have to scissor.

I could hear Brawnz and Roy talking about how unsurprised they were that someone as weird and nerdy as me was a lesbian.

Jaune tried his best to tell them to shut up, but it was too late.

And then Cardin stole my notebook and wrote 'DYKE' on the cover. That was the final straw.

I had to leave. I can deal with Cardin when he's by himself, but when my whole class is laughing at me and making disgusting comments about me or Blake and after he's been doing it _all week long_ I just couldn't handle it anymore!

I ran to the bathroom but after I left I heard Cardin shout after me. He said "Somebody go make sure that freak doesn't go play with herself!" and a bunch of people in the hallway heard him and looked at me.

I locked myself in a stall and tried to cry as quietly as I could so no one would hear me. I'm not usually so affected by what people think of me but today was just... really bad. They made me feel really bad about myself, like I was inherently _wrong_ or broken or extra weird and I just wanted to go home. I also started thinking about how maybe I shouldn't date Blake because if I hadn't started dating her then none of this would have happened and I would have just been the perfectly normal nerdy girl in the front row and no one would bother me.

But then I thought about how much I yelled at Yang for her unsupported judgments of Blake and how it wasn't really Blake's fault for my sexuality so then I thought that maybe I shouldn't date Blake because people would make fun of _her_ for dating _me_ and I didn't want her to be as miserable as I felt. I thought she'd be mad that people were bullying her again because of _me_.

I cried in the stall until I heard the bell ring. I cried because people were making fun of me and because I didn't want to be the reason that Blake got bullied _again_ but I also didn't want to stop dating her because _finally_ I was with someone who seemed happy to see me everyday and who I _wanted_ to spend all my time with and I didn't want to lose that because it makes my life so much better. I was so scared that Blake wouldn't want to be my friend anymore.

When I came out of the bathroom Jaune and Pyrrha were there and Jaune had my stuff and Pyrrha hugged me and said that Jaune told her everything that happened and that I shouldn't listen to anything those people said. Jaune put his arm around me and said "I remember everything you told me about Cardin. You said that I shouldn't take anything he said or did personally and that he was just a pathetic little scumbag that wasn't worth my attention. You helped me a lot, Ruby, and it made me feel a lot better about coming to school and dealing with his crap. But you also said that I had to deal with it _on my own_ or nothing would change. I think it's time you take some of your own advice..."

And I knew Jaune was right so I took a deep breath and just pushed everything that happened out of my mind and focused on the rest of my day. I asked them not to tell anyone, _especially_ Blake.

Pyrrha said they promised and also that it didn't matter to them if I was gay or not, they were my friends.

Yang asked me what was wrong during Math but I just told that it was 'nothing' again. She said she was tired of getting that answer.

I avoided Blake a little during Science. I made sure to wave and smile at her so she didn't think anything was wrong but normally I talk to her a lot until Weiss shows up. She took it well, she just talked to Sun instead.

Something was up with Weiss, but when I asked her what was wrong she said she didn't want to talk about it and just wanted to focus on our assignment, so I just focused on doing my best to help her out.

Blake and I walked to lunch together and I could hear people whispering about us and they were watching us and I felt really... bad. Like a mix of scared and nervous and small and ugly and stupid and nauseous. I don't think Blake noticed everyone looking at us because she just kept walking and looking forward and talking to me about our science homework.

I could tell Pyrrha wanted me to tell the group about what happened in English but I didn't want to so I just stayed quiet while everyone talked about their weekend plans. Nora is making Ren take her to a movie, Pyrrha is going bowling with Jaune and a couple of her track friends, and Blake said she was going to hang out with Sun.

After school Yang went to go to her (hopefully) final interview which left me walking home alone again, but then I saw Weiss walking up to me. Weiss asked if she could come over and work on the science homework. I said "Of course!" because I always want to spend more time with my best friend and it always feels great to get my homework done early and I really wanted to talk to her about what happened in English today, just to have someone to listen to how I feel.

We walked home and talked about school and I asked her if Neptune had asked her out again yet and she said no and then she asked if Blake had asked me out again and I said "No, she keeps spending time with Sun" and Weiss said that _I_ should ask Blake for the next date. I'm definitely less scared about it now, but at the same time I kept thinking about how Cardin and my English class made fun of me and how I didn't want to get Blake bullied anymore.

When we got home I introduced Weiss to Zwei and after she pet him for twenty minutes I took him for a walk while Weiss watched TV and then we started on our homework but it only took like an hour because Weiss is so smart and good at stuff so then I was like "Do you want to go home? Because Yang won't be home until five and Dad won't be home until six." and Weiss said no. She said that she "would prefer to stay the weekend here, if that's okay?" and I was like "Absolutely!" because I hadn't had a sleepover in like six years and of course never had one with Weiss so I was really excited.

We set it up so she could sleep in my room and I got a toothbrush for her and a spare set of pajamas and I was so ready for this to happen because it was going to be so much fun hanging out with Weiss the whole weekend!

Dad came home and was surprised to see Weiss and of course the first thing he said to her was "Do your parents know you're here" and Weiss said "Yes, of course. I talked to them about it last night." and Dad shrugged and said "Okay. I hope you like macaroni and cheese. And don't think that just because you're a guest you won't have to help with the dishes!" and Weiss laughed and said she loved macaroni and cheese.

So then we spent the rest of the day hanging out and watching TV and playing with Zwei and talking about Neptune and Blake but when it was getting late and I was starting to get tired and I wanted to talk about English class Weiss said "Hey, Ruby? Can I tell you something?" and I said "Of course, Weiss!" and she said "My parents don't actually know I'm here. I just wanted to get out of the house and away from all my responsibilities for a while. Is that okay?"

I didn't really know what to say so I just nodded and said "Yeah." So Weiss basically ran away from home. That overshadowed my problem a little so I just talked to her about her parents and her home life until she said she was tired and went to sleep. I hope this weekend can help her relax a little and make her happy.

I'm going to try to make this weekend all about Weiss having a good time. I can deal with Cardin for another day or two so long as my best friend is feeling okay.

At least I don't have to worry about anything for the next couple of days.

Goodnight XOXOXO :3


	26. November 23rd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Monday, November 23rd.

Today was just so _weird_. And after such a great weekend hanging out with Weiss, even though in the back of my mind I knew that she was going to get into a huge amount of trouble for staying over. We watched a ton of movies and ate ice cream and played with Zwei (Weiss really likes him) and made cookies together and I showed her how to use my camera and so now there are a bunch of blurry pictures of my face in my album but also one really good one of both of us together that I think I'm going to have framed. I call it "Proof Weiss Schnee is normal and has friends"! I'll have to get a copy for Weiss; I think I'll give it to her for Christmas!

But the entire time I kept thinking about how her parents must feel, not knowing where she was and worrying about her and even though Weiss says she hates them they can't really _not care_ about her, and she probably cares about them too. I really hoped that nothing bad was going to happen, but Dad always tells us that there are consequences for our actions and I knew this wasn't something that would just go away.

Weiss, Yang, and I walked to school today, and as soon as we got through the front doors Dr. Ozpin came out of his office and beckoned us over. Dr. Ozpin is usually super nice and friendly and everything but today he had a real deep frown and I got nervous because I _knew_ we were in trouble. He said, "Ms. Schnee, you are in very deep trouble." and I felt bad because it was kind of my fault that she got in trouble because if I told her she couldn't stay the weekend then this wouldn't have happened, but I wouldn't want to be the type of person who'd turn away a friend in need. Anyway, then Dr. Ozpin said "You need to come with me to my office and call your parents _immediately._ They haven't heard from you since Friday morning and are very worried. Do you understand how serious this is?" and Weiss said "Yes, Dr. Ozpin." and then she went with him to his office and he let Yang and I go and I was scared for Weiss. I already can't call her or text her, but now if her parents take her out of school I'd never even _see_ her again!

In History we had some time to work on our project so Blake and I focused really hard on using the chance to research our topic. We got lucky (or unlucky?) and were given Oobleck's self-proclaimed favorite subject: "How Coffee Influenced the Pre-Modern Middle East". Either that means he'll grade us easily or even more harshly. I'm so glad that Blake is my partner because she's really smart and works really hard so we made amazing progress today. I kind of feel like I'm not pulling my weight, so I'm going to try and do some outside research on my own to try to help out. I also wanted to ask her out again (Weiss convinced me to try), but never really got the chance. And I also kept thinking about how my English class made fun of me on Friday, which made me think that now wasn't the best time.

But I don't have to worry about that anymore :)

Jaune met me outside of English and we walked in together talking about our weekends and Cardin was waiting for me at my desk but when he tried to mock me Jaune said "Shut the fuck up and go away, Cardin." and Cardin was kind of like "Wha-?" and just walked back to his desk. Jaune and I laughed at him. No one was talking about me that I could hear, so I guess I'm no longer the most interesting rumor/gossip which made me feel better about hanging out with Blake because then no one would make fun of her for being with me. Then Mr. Port came in and we had a pop quiz on the book and everybody but Jaune and I failed.

After class Mr. Port called me up to the front and said that the substitute told him that my classmates were being mean to me and that if I ever needed help with something I "shouldn't hesitate to ask." Apparently I'm one of his favorite students :)

Then when I was leaving to meet up with Jaune, Cardin grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the side and trapped me against the lockers. He said "You think you're better than me, you ugly cunt? You're just a short, ugly queer!" and then he grinned and said "Maybe someone should check and make sure you and Queer-adonna are actually lesbians, huh?" and I told him to "Leave me alone, asshole." and Cardin said "Why don't you and Belladonna come by my place and we'll find out? You might like it..."

Between how he's been writing slurs on my desk and my stuff, bullying me all last week, and telling my class about me, but mostly how he was being so insulting to Blake, I got so mad I could have sworn my hair was about to catch on fire.

I couldn't move my arms very well, but my legs were fine.

So I kicked him so hard in the nuts he left the ground by about an inch.

I wish I had a picture of his face. He squeaked so loudly the entire hallway turned to look at us and Cardin was bent over holding his crotch and crying and then he fell to the floor and everyone laughed at him and took pictures on their phones. Jaune came over to me and said "Wow, Ruby, remind me not to get on your bad side..."

Then Cardin said "Fuck you, you bitch!" but his voice was like three octaves higher than normal so it sounded like he inhaled a helium balloon and it just made me giggle. Jaune and I and the whole hallway laughed at him as he squirmed on the floor and cried.

Then like _magic_ Ms. Goodwitch showed up and grabbed Cardin and said "Mr. Arc, come with me please." and Jaune was like "What? Why me?" and Ms. Goodwitch said "Because you and Mr. Winchester are fighting. Fighting is not allowed at Beacon, I would have thought you learned that the last time. My office. Now." and Jaune said "But _I_ didn't hit him!" and Ms. Goodwitch was like "You expect me to believe that Ms. Rose did this? You're not very good at excuses, are you, Mr. Arc?" so Jaune had to go the principals office :(

I feel really bad that Jaune got in trouble because of me, but kicking Cardin felt soooooooooooooooooooo good. I bet he won't mess with me anymore :)

When I met up with Pyrrha I told her the whole thing and even though she was happy I stood up to Cardin she was mad at me for letting her boyfriend get in trouble. I guess I _should_ have told Ms. Goodwitch it was me, but she's _really_ scary and it happened really fast and I kind of panicked. I guess I'm a bad friend :(

I told her after school though and she said she'd lift his suspension. I got a 'gentle' warning to not fight anymore.

Anyway, when I was walking to Math I heard a bunch of people whispering about how Cardin asked me out but that I turned him down. I don't know how to feel about this _very incorrect_ rumor, but at least Blake's not attached to it. In class Yang asked me if "nothing" was still bothering me, and I said "Nope!" and she said that that was really good, because otherwise she'd have to start reading my diary again. As if she could find it underneath my mattress!

Since Weiss wasn't in Science today (I guess she got sent home) I got paired with Penny again. She's nice and everything, and really helpful on labs, but in the middle of class she leaned over to me and said "I'm not a real person. I think I'm a robot." and I said "That's real cool, Penny." and scooted a little further away.

She's weird. I hope Weiss can come back to school soon.

Yang stole Blake's book at lunch and read some of it aloud. It was _not_ school-appropriate content. Blake was really angry, and she left for her next class before Yang could apologize. I'm sure they'll make up later, but if they don't Yang is sure going to get it!

After school I was waiting for Yang and it was really cold and I really wanted to leave and when she finally came out she said that her job called saying she got it and they wanted her to go through training today and she was really sorry but I had to walk home alone, so I was standing outside _freezing_ for no reason. But I was totally okay with it because Yang got her job! Yay!

So I went home and had some of the cookies Weiss and I made and was watching TV when Yang suddenly came home. I was like "Didn't you have training?" and she laughed and said "Yeah, I misheard them, my training is tomorrow!" Oh well, it probably just showed them how dedicated she is to the job. I doubt anything _bad_ happened.

Dad called and said he was going to be late and asked us to make dinner, so Yang and I made pancakes! When I was flipping them I messed up and dropped one, and it landed _perfectly_ in Zwei's food bowl. I let him have it because it was _obviously_ predestined.

After I finished my homework I texted Blake for awhile about our project (and also a little about her weekend and stuff). I'm definitely going to ask her out again tomorrow. I hope she says yes :)

I hope Weiss isn't feeling too bad and isn't getting punished too harshly. She just needed a break, surely her parents will see that?

I wish I could text her.

We'll see tomorrow, I guess.

Goodnight! XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - OHMYGOSH CHRISTMAS IS LIKE A MONTH AWAY I NEED TO FIND PRESENTS FOR EVERYONE xoxo :3


	27. November 24th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Tuesday, November 24th.

Today was a pretty great day.

Dad got up early and went out to get donuts, so I didn't have to have the same boring cereal for breakfast! He only does it like once every two or three months, and it makes the morning really special! It saved me a lot of time so I was done with my shower before Yang woke up which meant that she didn't have to rush like she usually does and since she had training today she had extra time to choose the perfect outfit for her first day on the job!

And it snowed a little last night! Not enough to close school :( but enough to crunch underneath my boots and give everything that frosty quietness and _more_ than enough to make a slushball to hit Yang with! I made sure not to hit her in the hair because then she would have been super mad, and then she threw one at me and we had a snowball fight on our way to school. We were hiding behind cars and trees and trash cans and it was really fun! Yang won't admit it, but I totally won too! Preemptive strikes are the best! I love snow so much!

The only downside was I was all sweaty when I got to History. Blake asked if I was feeling sick again because I was really red and sweaty and out of breath and my nose was running because it was so cold outside so I had to explain to her that I wasn't sick, I just rocked at snowball fights. She said "Oh really? We'll have to put that to the test at lunch today..." and she smiled at me and winked and we laughed but secretly I was already planning my offensive. I take snowball fights very seriously.

We didn't get any more time to work on our projects in class, instead we learned about the beginning of World War I. Oobleck seemed really excited about it, because he talked even faster than usual. He even brought in an authentic British Army helmet and wore it the whole class. He said he wanted to bring in one of the rifles too but Dr. Ozpin wouldn't let him. He had quite a few words to say about that and how schools are limiting our creative freedom by restricting what kind of teaching aids can be used in class.

I got to English late because Blake and I were talking about our project and I was really surprised to see my desk _clean_ for like the first time in two weeks. Jaune wasn't there yet, and Cardin came up to me and at first I got really serious and mad and stuff but then I noticed that he looked _awful_. Like he fell down the stairs or something. He had a black eye and his face was all swollen and he had a cut on his lip and he was holding his arm funny like it would hurt if he moved it. I felt bad for him.

Anyway, he came over and said that he wanted to apologize for being such a massive dickhead to me and spreading rumors about Blake and I and said that he'd leave me alone from now on. I don't know if he was expecting me to say "I forgive you" or something, because he waited around for a second until I said "Good. Now go away."

Then Jaune came in and I saw something weird on his face and under closer inspection it was lipstick. I was like "Ohmygosh Jaune somebody _kissed_ you!" and freaking out and stuff and he was like "Ruby, it was Pyrrha, calm down!" and I said "I know! That's why I'm so excited!" It makes me so happy that they're a couple because it's totally all because of me and it's really cute how Pyrrha kissed him on the cheek and left a smudge! After class when we met up with Pyrrha I gave her a big hug and grabbed her by the hands and jumped up and down until Ms. Goodwitch yelled at me to stop. Then Pyrrha said "Ow, I wish you hadn't done that, Ruby. My hands hurt today." and I noticed that she had bandaids on her knuckles and I was like "Oh no! What happened?" and she smiled and said she dropped a weight on her hands at the gym. I hope she feels better.

Yang seemed like she was really nervous in Math today. She kept rubbing her hands and scratching at them so much that she had scabs and bruises all over her knuckles! I told her she needs to calm down, her job probably wasn't going to be that bad! She looked at me and laughed and said "Yup! You're right, Ruby! Thanks!"

And then I had to go to Science and I was sad because Weiss wasn't going to be there...

...but she was! :)

The whole class stared at me when I gasped and ran over to her and gave her a huge hug and wouldn't let go until she said "Ruby! I can't breathe!" and then I asked her what happened with her parents and if she got in mega trouble and if we were still allowed to be friends. She said that after she went into Dr. Ozpin's office he lectured her about her behavior and how irresponsible it was to not tell her parents where she was and then she had to call her house and talk to her mom. Her mom had to come and pick her up and she yelled at Weiss the entire drive home about how scared she was and how Weiss should never have done that and they were going to have a much more serious conversation when her father got home. Weiss said she couldn't get a word in edgewise and when they got home went and shut herself in her room.

Then when her father came home they came into her room and started yelling at her and she said that she "did what we talked about" and I was like "I don't know what you're talking about" and she said that when she was staying with me and we were talking about her home life I said that she should explain to them how she feels about everything and maybe that would change their minds. So she told her parents everything about how she was stressed all the time to the point that she was buying drugs with her allowance and it was her friends that she's not allowed to talk to anymore that made her stop and how she felt like she wasn't in control of her own life and it was like she wasn't allowed to have problems since it would look bad to _their_ friends and all she wanted to do was try to be normal and hang out with her friends but they kept making her do stuff she hated so she never had time.

She said her parents got kind of quiet and glanced at each other and then said that she was grounded but they stopped yelling at her and left. Then when they called her down for dinner they'd made her favorite meal and they said that they were sorry for not taking her feelings into consideration and that she could have her phone back. They said that they were just angry because they were so scared when she'd disappeared without warning and they didn't hear from her for two days. They also said that she's not out of trouble, but they'd try to be more lenient and thoughtful in the future.

So I guess it went better than either of us expected? I doubt it went as smoothly as that sounds but I'm just really happy that Weiss is back in school and I'll be able to call and text her again!

At lunch our group went outside and we had a snowball fight! Pyrrha is _scary good_ at throwing snowballs! Ren is too, and he's also really good at dodging them. I don't think I hit him once! I got Yang a few times, and Blake too, but then they both ganged up on me and Yang held me while Blake put snow down my coat! It was sooooo cold! When it was time to go back to class I asked Blake if she'd find me after school because I had to ask her a question.

When school was over I said goodbye to Yang when she went to her first day on the job and then waited for Blake. It took her a little while to show up, and she asked what my question was. I asked her if she wanted to go out with me on Saturday. It took me a long time, it was like I couldn't speak clearly! I kept stuttering and having to repeat myself. But Blake said yes so it's all okay! Now I just need to come up with something to do...

Then she asked _me_ if I wanted to go to the coffee shop and work on our history project a bit and I of course said "Absolutely!" so we walked together and we talked about stuff and when we got there we got our usual drinks and I bought one of those giant cookies for us to share and we worked out the rest of the project! Then we walked back together and Blake held my hand. Even though we were both wearing gloves (hers were super cute!) I was nervous about how my hand felt so I kept it as still as I could which, now that I think about it, was probably not the right thing to do because she might have thought that I didn't want to hold hands even though I actually liked it a lot. Her hand was sooo warm, it was like my left hand's own personal heating pad. I was really sad when she said she had to go home, but then I remembered that we had a date on Saturday and I felt better!

I'm going to have another date with Blake! Yay!

Dad asked me to help with dinner and he and I made the _most_ dynamite chicken I've ever had in my life. I should make it for Blake some time, I bet she'd like it.

Yang came home _really_ late and I asked her what her first day was like and she said it was good in general but there were some girls who were really bitchy and kept insulting her. I told her to complain to the boss, and she said I shouldn't worry about it because she knew how to handle situations like this. I hope that's true and not like how Yang knows how to handle trigonometric integrals.

Even though it's winter and everything I had some ice cream for dessert and then worked on my homework, which eventually just turned into me looking for Christmas presents online.

Now I'm going to go to bed early and think of what to do for my date with Blake :)

XOXOXO :3

…

P.S. - I texted Blake and told her that I _did_ like holding hands with her, just in case she thought I didn't. She said "Yay! Me too :)"

…

P.P.S. - Weiss called me and asked if I could give her the notes from the class she missed. I used the opportunity to fish for clues for her present :)

…

P.P.P.S. - All my most brilliant ideas come to me after midnight! I know what to do for my date! XOXO :3


	28. November 28th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Saturday, November 28th.

I accidentally woke up late this morning. Normally I try to be up by 8:00 so I can make the most of my day but when I finally rolled myself out of bed it was already 9:45! I couldn't believe the morning was already half over and I'd spent it all in bed! At least I was having a nice dream about Blake! :)

When I got downstairs Yang had already left for her job (she works for three hours on weekdays after school and for eight hours on weekends) so I didn't get to say goodbye and good luck to her :(

I hope she has a good day. Since she finally got those dumb Malachite twins to leave her alone she's been having an easier time, but she always comes home tired and grumpy. I can't blame her, being a waitress sounds _really_ stressful, and especially at some weird sports bar.

Anyway, I ate breakfast really quick and took Zwei for a walk and we ran into that stupid nasty dachshund that lives in the neighborhood and it kept wanting to fight Zwei but it's like the one dog that Zwei's bigger than so when he barked at it it got scared and hid behind it's owner, and then when we got home I gave him his food and started getting ready for my date with Blake. It wasn't supposed to start until 2:00 but I wanted to make sure I was ready and felt comfortable with what I was going to wear.

We've been hanging out a lot, going to the coffee shop after school every day this week to work on our history project (except yesterday because that's when we turned it in), so I wanted to choose something that she hadn't already seen and that looked... good. Nicer than what I usually wear. Special. Because Blake is special and I wanted her to think I looked good. So I picked out my red hoodie and a warm vest and some light gloves (because it was cold outside) and my thicker leggings that matched well with my vest and of course my lucky boots because I feel like if I go out without something lucky my whole day would turn into a disaster, and my boots haven't let me down yet!

After that I watched TV for a little while until Dad asked if I could help him move some of the Christmas stuff down from the attic. I can't wait to start decorating! Dad always makes me wait until December actually starts, and I always have to argue with him over the tree we get, but in the end it's always super fun and it makes me really happy to make the house look nice. Yang and Dad always complain about putting up the lights, but I think they have fun anyway.

In the middle of helping Dad I looked at a clock and noticed that it was after 1:00 so I only had like twenty minutes to shower and do my makeup and get dressed before I had to leave so I ran into the bathroom to get started and left Dad trying to move all the decorations. I feel kind of bad about that, even though Dad said it was okay.

I gave up on doing most of my makeup because I'd rather be less pretty than late, and ran to school to meet up with Blake. She got there about a minute after I did, so I'm glad I hurried. She looked so cute! She had some adorable black shoes and nice dark jeans and a purple sweater and a white scarf and that black hat with the white flower on it that I really like and she looked great! I said 'Hi' and told her she looked spectacular and then I asked if she was ready to have the most fun she's ever had in her life! She smiled and said "Sure!" and then I...

...took her to the arcade!

I hadn't been to the arcade in such a long time and I thought it would be the perfect place to take Blake because it had a bunch of games and snacks and stuff and I could totally show off how good I was at some of the games and there were a bunch of things we could do together like air hockey or DDR and it wouldn't be weird if we were there together. Like if anyone saw us like on our last date.

Anyway, when we got there Blake's mouth dropped open and I couldn't help smiling because I knew we were going to have fun if she reacted like that. She said she'd never been to an arcade before, and she didn't know where to start because everything looked so cool! Luckily I _did_ know where to start and I took her hand and we got some coins (used up three weeks of my allowance) and I took her over to the racing games first.

We raced each other four times and I won every one except the last one. By the end Blake had figured out how to play and she beat me by less than a second! Neither of us could do better than one of the computer players though, but it was okay because the game took pictures of us so we made funny faces for the avatars. Then I took her over to Time Crisis and we played that for almost an hour! We got really far! Blake is amazing at aiming those guns – I can never figure out where I'm aiming and end up missing a bunch before finding out where my reticle is. It was so much fun! We'd yell at each other when we were reloading or when we should hide because a rocket was coming at us and it made it so much better because we really got into it and we both screamed when we finally lost.

After that I took her over to the classic arcade games and we took turns playing Pac Man and then we moved on to the pinball machine because a group of kids came in and wanted to play Pac Man. Blake got a new high score on pinball! She's so cool. Then we were getting hungry so I took Blake over to the DDR machine because I really wanted to dance with her and if we did it after we ate we'd get cramps or get tired too fast. Blake was _so good_ at DDR! She moved like water and had perfect rhythm and everything and if we hadn't been doing a song I was familiar with I would have been too distracted to keep up. We were doing so well and got so into it that a crowd started watching us and cheering us on. It was so weird; I've never seen that happen before. There was a collective groan when we finally lost, but then the group clapped for us and Blake and I looked at each other and just laughed.

So then we were really tired and sweaty so I bought us sodas and a pizza to share. I don't know how they manage to make super cheap, greasy arcade pizza taste so good, and I know it's probably taking years off my life with every bite, but it was so delicious I didn't care. Blake said "That might be the tastiest thing I've ever eaten..." which made me laugh because really we both knew that it was _disgusting_ , but also sooooo good.

Before we left we played a couple games of air hockey. I won the first game, but purposely lost the second one. I think Blake knew, but she didn't get mad or anything. Then it was starting to get dark and I asked if she wanted to go home but she said that there was somewhere else she wanted to go. Apparently one of her favorite bookstores was nearby and she wanted to show it to me. It wasn't a long walk away and when we walked in the cashier greeted Blake by name and they talked for a bit while I looked at the 'Bestsellers' section. Then Blake took me to the back and introduced me to the owner, who was very very nice, and he gave Blake a book for free! She wouldn't let me see what it was :( but it looked thick and the cover had a bird on it.

Then we walked back to her car and we drove home. I asked if she wanted to come in and stay for dinner but she said her parents were going out tonight and they wanted someone to watch the house, so she had to decline. She promised she would the next time though :)

And then when I was getting out she kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for showing her the arcade. While I was frozen in completely blissful shock and blushing like a rosebush she pulled out the book she got from the bookshop and gave it to me and said "I hope you like it!" and I managed to mumble out "Thanks Blake I'm sure I will." and then said bye and she left. I couldn't breathe or move until after her car turned the corner and then I squealed and ran inside and straight to my room and called Weiss and told her everything that happened and she said "Ruby, do you know what this _means_?" and I said "That Blake likes books?" and Weiss said "No, you dunce! It means _you're an official couple now!_ " and I said "I don't really follow your logic there, Weiss," but she insisted it was true and I'm not really going to argue about it because I'm perfectly happy being in a couple with Blake :)

More than happy really! My heart hasn't slowed down since after it stopped for that minute or so after Blake kissed me and I can't stop shaking and my cheeks are really warm and there's this weird happy feeling in my stomach that won't go away and I can't stop thinking about Blake and her smile and her eyes and her hair and her _kiss_...

Today was the best.

Yang was happy when she came home because she got a lot of tips and when I told her about what happened she gave me a big hug and told me she was so happy for me and Blake!

After dinner I started reading the book Blake gave me. It is _so good_. It's amazing. Easily my new favorite.

I wonder why? ;)

I can't wait for Monday!

That's it for this wonderful, euphoric day :)

XOXOXO :3


	29. December 3rd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Thursday, December 3rd.

It snowed today! A lot!

The weather forecast was for two or three inches _tomorrow_ , but it started this morning! Dad woke me up early and at first I was mad because I wanted to sleep but then he told me to look outside and when I did I got really excited because it was snowing so hard and it was already kind of sticking to the grass (but not the cement) and I rushed downstairs and turned on the TV to see if schools were closed but they weren't even delayed :( so then I had to go eat breakfast and couldn't play in the snow.

Yang came down after a few minutes and asked me if school was closed and when I said "No, open on time." and she groaned and went back to bed. If school gets closed she has an excuse to not go to work, so I guess it's twice as disappointing for her.

I ended up taking too long in the shower because I was totally distracted by the snow and Yang had to bang on the door to get me to hurry up (oops!).

I wore my big winter coat and my boots and a warm wool scarf and my gloves and Yang and I had another brief snowball fight on our way to school!

Everyone was talking about how they might close school early because of the snow, even the teachers! I heard Mr. Port and Mr. Oobleck talking about how it was almost guaranteed that school would be closed tomorrow, and how Mr. Port was looking forward to taking his kids outside and going sledding with them. I bet he gets snow caught in his mustache a lot.

I was really excited to see Blake in history because last night I finished the book she gave me and I wanted to talk to her about it. She said she was really happy that I liked it because it was one of her favorites and when she'd reread it recently she kept thinking about how similar I was to one of the main characters. I said I didn't really see it but she explained that the main character had an unusual eye color and red hair, and was tirelessly working to help people. Then Oobleck came in and started talking so I got out my notes and tried not to get distracted by the falling snow or how cute Blake looks when she gets all serious about the class discussion.

Whenever I look at her my mind starts wandering to our dates and how much I want to hold her hand and walk with her and how she kissed me and how I want to kiss her and how I want to sit on a couch with her and just read a book together. Sometimes she'll catch me staring at her and wink at me and smile and I'll blush and turn away and try to pretend that I was taking notes but I know she knows what I was doing because she still asks me if I want her notes after every class.

Before class let out we got our grades for our history projects. Blake and I got an A+! Oobleck really liked our report, probably because it was about coffee and he lives on the stuff :P

Nothing really happened in English class, just Mr. Port trying to get us to calm down and stop talking about the snow and how school was probably going to end early. We finally convinced him to open up the website and check the county's decision and when he did it said that the schools were going to close after fifth period! Our class went crazy, and we could hear all the other classes on the floor shouting too. It was pretty great. When Pyrrha met us after class she kissed Jaune and I got embarrassed watching them so I went to Math early.

Yang was really happy that school was closing early, because it meant she could go home and eat and do some homework before she had to go to her job. Even though everyone knew that we were going to be going home in like three hours the teacher still made us take notes and gave us homework instead of just giving up like Mr. Port did and letting us do whatever.

In Science class Weiss told me that Neptune asked her out again and that she said "Yes". She said she hoped it was better than the last one, but as long as he was polite and paid attention to her she'd have fun. I like how she decides these things in advance. I asked if she had any plans for the rest of the day since school was going to close early and she said she'd have to go home and practice her fencing because even though her parents are letting her have more freedom they still want her to keep up with her extracurricular responsibilities. Also she's still grounded and stuff.

Our Science teacher was just as excited as we were about the snow so he let us do whatever we wanted. I was going to go hang out with Blake but she was talking to Sun and they seemed like they were having fun and I didn't want to intrude and be a third wheel in their conversation. Instead, I talked to Weiss for the whole period and we decided we'd have another hang out session soon. 'Mission: Ice Queen' is being resumed! It will give me a good opportunity to get a grip on what to give her for Christmas, because what do you get a girl who can buy anything she wants?

Speaking of which, I need to talk to her about what to get Blake! Because it has to be special and sincere and I don't know what to get her!

Then Blake and I walked together to lunch which was the last official period of the day so we basically got a free pass to go home if we wanted. Yang, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Blake, and I had a giant snowball fight with a bunch of other people in the period! Some of the administrators tried to get us to stop but they gave up and so it was just a huge mess of snow flying everywhere! When the last bell rang I asked Blake if she wanted to come over for hot chocolate and she said yes!

We walked home holding hands and ignoring Yang's nearly constant taunts. Blake's hand was so warm, even through my mittens, and I stood really close to her so I could lean slightly on her shoulder (she's so tall!) and I think I actually felt like we were an official couple for a second or too.

When we got home and Blake walked through the door Zwei came sprinting over from his bed in the living room to say hi and Blake like jerked backwards. I asked her what was wrong and she said she forgot I had a dog and that she had a slight allergy. I wish I'd known that beforehand because then I could have made sure that Zwei stayed in the basement or in Dad's room or something so he wouldn't bother Blake. I had Yang keep Blake company while I quickly took Zwei for a walk in the snow and when I got back I locked him in Dad's room so Blake wouldn't have to worry about her allergies. Then we made hot chocolate and watched TV on the couch and Blake and I sat next to each other and Yang kept rolling her eyes at us and then she pushed Blake so she was leaning on top of me. It was like she was surrounding me, even though she was just leaning against my arm and shoulder and had her head on top of mine. My whole body felt really warm and I could smell her shampoo and her hair was tickling the back of my neck and I could feel her breathing and I felt really really comfortable, but also super embarrassed because Yang was giggling to herself about us and then Blake sat up so we weren't touching anymore.

Thinking about it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

After a while Yang had to go get ready for her job so it was just me and Blake on the couch and we watched TV and made jokes and laughed and then Blake held my hand in her lap and I _wasn't_ nervous about how it felt because I had already told Blake that I liked it when she held my hand and then I looked up at her and thought that this was the perfect time to kiss her back and I got really nervous and said "Hey, Blake?" and when she turned to look at me I leaned up and kissed her right on the mouth. I think I surprised her, because she pulled back at first but then pushed back and it felt _soooooo good_. It was the best thing ever in my life.

But of course that was the moment Dad came home and when he walked in and saw me and Blake I pushed Blake off me and let go of her hand and quickly turned back to the TV. He said "Hey kids. Crazy snow, huh?" then he went to go get changed so I don't think he saw anything.

Blake looked really confused when I turned back towards her. She said "What was that? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?" and I realized what I did and shook my head and said "No, it's just... Dad doesn't know that I'm... you know." and she said she understood but still looked a little hurt.

We hung out for a while, but not touching or anything, and then we helped Dad make dinner and then Blake said she had to go home. After she left I went to go do my homework in case we had school tomorrow and while I was in the middle of a really difficult math problem Dad came in and said "So what was all that?" and I said "What are you talking about?" and he sighed and said "Ruby, you know what I'm talking about. The couch?" so I turned to face him, stood up, and said "Dad, I'm a lesbian."

He just nodded and said "Yeah, I kind of reached that conclusion when I saw you making out with that girl. So who is she? Your girlfriend?"

And I said "Yes."

He said "Okay. Good for you! She's very pretty. Alright, keep up the good work." and then he left.

I'm not entirely sure what I expected to happen, but I know it wasn't that.

So now Dad knows about me and is totally cool with it, but I've hurt Blake.

At least it snowed today.

XOXOXO :3

…

P.S. - I texted Blake and said that I was really sorry for what I did and that I really did enjoy spending time with her and I thought she was really pretty and I hope she wasn't feeling bad about what happened because I hadn't meant to upset her, I just wasn't thinking. She said she was okay, just confused for a second. I really hope I didn't mess it all up!

…

P.P.S. - They closed school tomorrow! Snow day!


	30. December 7th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Monday, December 7th.

I woke up really tired today. I think it was because it was a Monday so I had to wake up early after staying up late all weekend and also because I was still exhausted from playing in the snow all weekend. I could barely function until after I had some cereal and Dad saw how tired I was and asked if I wanted some coffee. Normally I just have some orange juice, but today I _needed_ that coffee, or else I might have just collapsed on the way to school.

The snow is starting to melt away, so you can see spots of grass and cement poking up sometimes, but since it's still really cold there are a bunch of slippery spots where it's still icy so Yang and I had to trudge through the snowbanks in the streets that the plows made. It wasn't bad, but it took us longer and I got snow in my boots which made my socks wet which is _the worst_! I had squishy, icky wet socks all day and it kind of ruined my mood whenever there wasn't something to distract me from the grossness covering my feet.

I was a little nervous about seeing Blake in history today because we hadn't talked since Thursday and I wasn't sure if she was upset about how I acted when Dad caught us kissing. She said she was okay with it, but I have a hard time interpreting emotions over text messages so as soon as I sat down next to her I asked her if she was _really_ not mad or anything, or if she was just saying that. She put down the book she was reading and looked me right in the eyes and said "Ruby, I'm not mad that you were nervous in front of your dad. I had the same problem with my parents. I get it, don't worry." and I was like "Oh, okay. Thanks Blake!" so I guess she really wasn't upset with me and everything worked out! So then I asked her what she was reading and she explained the basic plot of her book and said she'd loan it to me when she was done. If it's even half as good as the one she gave me on our last date, I can't wait! Then class started and I had to take notes :(

In English we're starting _Lord of the Flies_ and Mr. Port spent most of class lecturing us on how our modern society was too lenient with its children and how all students should be forced to spend a month in the wild learning how to survive like the boys in the book and then he got distracted and told us a really long story about how he once got separated from his Boy Scout troop while on a hike and had to survive on his own for a week, drinking nothing but muddy rainwater and eating millipedes. I really hope he was making it up, but he kept saying how the smaller bugs tasted sweeter than the big ones.

Oh yeah, and I think Jaune and Pyrrha are fighting or something. The first clue was that Jaune didn't have any lipstick on his face when he came to class, and he seemed distracted all through class like he was thinking about something, and then after class when we were walking together Pyrrha never came to meet up with us, even though I _know_ I saw her earlier that morning! So I asked him what was going on and he said "I... I don't want to talk about it right now, Ruby. Sorry." but I was like "Okay." because I was just going to ask Pyrrha at lunch anyway.

I got to Science before Weiss, which was unusual, and then when I was unpacking my notebook and pen and stuff I saw someone sit down next to me and when I looked up it was Sun! He said "Hey Rubes!" and pulled Weiss' desk closer to mine and had a big smile so I smiled and said "Hi! What's up?" because he and I have never really talked before so I thought it was kind of weird that he'd suddenly sit next to me when he knew that that's where Weiss sits and she'd make a super big deal if she caught him in it.

He leaned in close to me and put his arm around my shoulder so that our foreheads were nearly touching and said "So, Rubes, I know that you and Blake are dating-" and I was like 'Uh huh, thanks to Cardin pretty much the whole school knows the rumors', "and as her best friend since like, preschool, I wanted you to know that if you hurt her I'll make your life a living hell, 'kay?" which really took me by surprise and I was like "Huh?" since he said it with that really huge smile on his face so it _looked_ like he was joking but it didn't _sound_ like he was joking. He said "Yeah. She's been through this before, and I'm not going to let her get her heart broken by someone like you, so you better not be just messing around. Now, I get it, sometimes things just don't work out, but if you're-"

But then that was when Weiss walked in and saw him sitting in her seat and she screamed "What are you doing in my seat, you uneducated muscle-headed cretin?! OUT! NOW!" and Sun scrambled away to his chair in the back of the class but did that 'I'm watching you' gesture with his fingers. So I guess that Sun is suspicious of me for some reason, but I also kind of figured out his connection with Blake, and it makes a little sense. More than what I'd _thought_ it was. He doesn't need to worry though, because I'm totally head over heels for Blake (just ask anyone who knows me!) and I really like her and I'd never do anything to hurt her! _Intentionally_ I mean, because I'm still a little worried that I hurt her feelings on Thursday.

At lunch I sat next to Pyrrha and discreetly asked her what was going on with her Jaune while the rest of the group was distracted by Nora trying to fit a whole portion of french fries in her mouth at once. Pyrrha said that she's been giving Jaune kisses on the cheek for over a week but he's never tried to kiss her back and she finally got annoyed with him on their date this weekend and asked him why he doesn't want to kiss her and he said that he _does_ he just never knows when and then she said to kiss her right then but Jaune said you couldn't force this kind of thing. So Pyrrha's mad because she thinks Jaune doesn't want to kiss her and Jaune's all mopey because Pyrrha's mad at him.

I'm going to have to have a serious talk with both of them, because I _refuse_ to let my beautiful creation turn to dust over something so _ridiculous!_

I met up with Blake and Yang before going home after school and we talked for a little bit before Yang had to go to her job. Then I gave Blake a big hug and said I was sorry about Thursday and she said she's okay, really. We promised to talk to each other later and then I went home.

As soon as I got home I had to leave again and take Zwei for a walk, and I slipped on ice and fell on my butt. It really hurt. I'm probably going to have a huge bruise and sitting in class is going to be awkward. After that I read for English until Dad came home and then I helped him with dinner. We made tacos! Not my favorite, but I know Yang and Dad like them. We couldn't do too much because if we cooked everything too early it would be cold by the time Yang got home, so we just cut up all the vegetables and stuff and I set the table.

Yang was _really_ mad when she came home. She said that there was a new girl at her job who kept messing with her all the time and no matter how many times Yang told her to stop she'd just smirk at her and twirl away. I hope everything works out okay.

While I was doing homework Weiss texted me and said that she'd be free to hang out on Friday, and also that Neptune rescheduled their date for this weekend because of the snow. I'll have to think of what to do.

Blake called me and we talked for a long time, then we worked on the history assignment Oobleck gave us today. I told her that Sun talked to me today and she sighed and apologized. She said "He's a really nice guy, but sometimes he gets a little overprotective. We've been friends for a long time, and I guess he remembers the whole thing with... Anyway, don't be too worried about it. I'll talk to him." and then I asked her if she wanted to go on another date this weekend but she said she had an SAT on Saturday and then on Sunday she was visiting a college with her parents. Some other time, I guess. I can't wait!

Time for bed!

XOXOXO :3


	31. December 11th

**Disclaimer:** RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Friday, December 11th.

Zwei woke me up early this morning by barking like crazy at 6:00 and when I finally went downstairs to see what he was barking at after laying in bed for a while hoping he'd quiet down I saw a fox on our front porch! It was just sitting there in front of our door, licking between its toes and totally ignoring Zwei screaming his doggy head off in the window. I rushed back upstairs and grabbed my camera and when I started going back down Yang came out of her room and asked me what was going on and why was I stomping up and down the stairs at six in the morning. I told her there was a fox on our porch and she said "No way!" and we both went down and the fox was still there and I took a picture of it. Well, I took _a lot_ of pictures of it, but there was this one where it looked directly at my camera and it felt like it was looking at _me_ and the picture just came out great.

Then it finally stood up, stretched, and scampered away and Zwei finally stopped barking. We watched it trot up the street until it disappeared behind one of our neighbor's houses. I _never_ see foxes, so it's really cool that one lives near our house! Maybe we'll see more of it? And in Spring there could be little fox babies running around and they'd be so fuzzy and cute but of course we wouldn't be able to pet them or anything because they're wild animals and the mom fox would growl at us and stuff but I'd get to take pictures of them which is like the next best thing!

Since I was already up I just ate breakfast and got ready for school while Yang went back to bed so I had time to take Zwei for a quick morning walk and the entire time he was either sniffing the ground or looking around to try and find that fox. He pulled a lot, which he almost _never_ does, so the walk was over even quicker than I expected. When we got back it was time to leave for school and when Yang and I were about a block away we saw fox footprints in the little bit of snow that was still around and at the time we were amazed at how far that fox walked in a day, but now I'm thinking that maybe it just doesn't actually live near our house :(

Blake was already in class when I got there and I waited for her to finish whatever part of her book she was on (she looked really invested in it) and when she put it down I fished out a picture of the fox and told her everything that happened this morning. She thought it was pretty cool that I saw a fox! Then we talked a little bit about what we were going to do this weekend and I asked her which college she was visiting and she said it was a real big one in Mistral that was really popular for its communications program, and since she wants to be an investigative journalist when she graduates it would look really good to employers. She also said that it was really hard to get into so she had to get a good score on her SAT tomorrow and she had a bunch of essays she needed to write. I hope she gets in, she seems really intent on this school!

In English Mr. Port had us do a really interesting experiment where we all sat in a circle and were supposed to discuss the book, but only the person with the conch shell could talk. It was a lot like the book, which I guess was the point, and it quickly devolved into chaos. By the end it was all crazy and everyone was yelling at each other and Mr. Port was just in the back of the room giggling to himself. Then the bell rang and we all left and it was like nothing had happened. I think it helped me understand the themes of the book a little better.

After class Jaune and I were walking and I wanted to talk to him about Pyrrha because they were still fighting and he'd been avoiding talking about it with me all week and I didn't want it to keep going through the weekend because I felt like if it did then it would never get fixed. So I said "Jaune, you have to kiss her!" and he said "I just don't know how or when! I know I have to, and I _want to_ , just... When the moment arrives I get too nervous about messing it up!" and I said "Don't worry, just do it! It'll be your true feelings, and it can't be wrong if it's the truth! So just _kiss her!_ " and I hit him on the arm like with a friendly punch but Ms. Goodwitch was there and she 'ahem'-ed at me and said "No fighting allowed, Ms. Rose..." and I apologized and promised I wouldn't do it again. I don't know how she manages to be everywhere at once and also invisible. It's freaky.

Anyway, Jaune said he promised to kiss Pyrrha today. Hopefully that will fix everything.

Nothing really happened in Math – Yang fell asleep because she's so tired from her work and that Neo girl bothering her all the time so the teacher yelled at her and gave her detention. As soon as the bell rang I sprinted to Science because I wanted to get there before Weiss so I could talk to Sun about 'Mission: Ice Queen'!

I got there in a blink of an eye and went straight to the back of the room and sat next to Sun and he was kind of like "What's the hurry, Rubes?" and I said "You're friends with Neptune, right?" and he laughed and said "Yeah, me and that dork are friends. What about it?" and then I told him that Neptune (his BFF) was taking Weiss (my BFF) out on a date this weekend and I wanted him to tell Neptune that he needs to do a really good job because Weiss has a really stressful life and she could use a nice break from it all so the date had to be _perfect_! Sun leaned back and said "That's a really nice thing of you to do, Rubes. What do you want me to tell him to do?"

I said that Neptune had to dress nice, and by that I meant nicer than how he _thinks_ he dresses, and he _has_ to pay for the meal, and he has to compliment Weiss on her clothes and be interested in what she's talking about, even if he isn't really. I tried to cover everything that she complained about after their first date and I think I got a lot of it. The big things mostly.

I was in the middle of explaining the complex logistics and preparations involved in picking Weiss up from her house when Sun tapped me on the shoulder and nodded behind me and when I turned around Weiss was walking in so I asked Sun if he could tell Neptune all that and he said "Will do, Rubes. You can count on me." and gave me a wink and smile. Then I had to rush over to my seat and talk with Weiss.

She asked what I was talking with Sun about and I said "Oh, you know, Blake stuff." which was a total lie and I felt bad lying but I think it was for the best. It maintained the element of surprise. She said "Okay." and then we talked about the homework and what we were going to do after school today since she finally stopped being grounded and we could hang out.

After that Blake and I walked to lunch together and we held hands in the hallway for the first time and I was really nervous that people would stare at us or make fun of us but nobody did anything which was a huge relief. It meant I got to enjoy the feeling of Blake's hand in mine and how her hand is so soft and warm and I wish I could hold it all the time but that would probably make some things difficult like going to the bathroom but even then if it was a choice between holding Blake's hand all the time or a million dollars I would choose holding her hand, definitely.

Since Yang was in detention it was pretty quiet even though Nora was really excited for the weekend because she and Ren were going to go check out a college together. I talked to Pyrrha and said that she should try and get in touch with Jaune because he has something he wants to tell her.

When school was over I said 'Bye' to Yang and went to meet up with Weiss. She asked where we were going and I told her that it was a surprise! It took us about twenty minutes of walking in the cold but then we arrived at the ice cream parlor! Weiss rolled her eyes at me and said that only I would want to get ice cream in the middle of winter but I said "That's not true! Look, there are two other people in there! And also it's not the middle of winter; winter doesn't even start until the 21st!"

Oh! That reminds me! The school announced that it's Winter Dance was going to be on Sunday the 20th (which doesn't make sense because it's not winter yet) and I'm really excited! Also nervous, because I'm really self-conscious about my dancing, but I'm totally going to ask Blake and I can't wait to dance with her again!

Anyway, back to me and Weiss, we got our ice cream and when I went to pay I realized I left my wallet at home (which was really embarrassing) so Weiss had to pay. I felt really bad but it was also kind of funny because of how Weiss always says that whenever she goes on dates the guys try to get her to pay. We laughed about it later while eating our ice cream and Weiss said that it was some of the best ice cream she'd ever had. We talked for a little bit about the weekend and I asked where Neptune was taking her and she said he texted her today saying he suddenly changed his mind about which restaurant they were going to after the movie. I said "How strange! I wonder why he did that?" to throw her off my trail.

We went home after about forty-five minutes when I finished my ice cream (Weiss eats ice cream really fast!) and got brain freeze, and Weiss played with Zwei until her parents came to get her. Then I took him for a walk and I guess he hadn't forgotten about the fox this morning because he only stopped once to poop and the rest of the time was trying to pull me off my feet. When I got back I watched TV until Yang left, then I went upstairs and wrapped Christmas presents!

I love Christmas so much! Not only do I _get_ presents, but I also get to _give_ presents and everyone's always in a happy mood and there's eggnog and cookies and chocolate and Yang gets up early and makes Dad and I cinnamon buns and Zwei always gets a big bone to chew on... there's just so much cheer and goodness that it's worth waiting all year just for this one day! I'm always so excited about it that I buy presents really early and have them wrapped and under the tree like two weeks before anyone else. We still haven't gone and gotten a tree yet because Dad is repainting the stand and it's not ready yet, but when we _do_ I'll be ready!

The only present I don't have yet is Blake's, because I just can't think of what to get her. I talked about it a little with Weiss when we got ice cream, but none of her ideas sounded 'right'. They weren't bad ideas, just not 'special' enough, and I want Blake's present to be something _super_ special. I should have asked Sun, darn!

Dad and Yang were both really tired when they got home from work so we collectively agreed on pizza for dinner tonight. No complaints! Easier dishes and yummy food :)

I texted Blake wishing her luck on her test tomorrow, and she responded with "Thanks Ruby! :)" I know she'll do great, because she's like the smartest person ever.

That's all for tonight, I'm going to stay up late and try to finish the book Blake lent me yesterday! I haven't wanted to put it down since she first placed it in my hands! She has such great taste in literature! :)

XOXOXO :3


	32. December 16th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.  
**

* * *

Today is Wednesday, December 16th.

One of the best things about break coming up is that the teachers don't even _want_ to give homework, which translates as me having more free time to do stuff! Like hanging out with Blake!

Oobleck announced in class today that even though the quarter is almost over and pretty much everyone is getting ready for Winter Break he's going to give us a test on Friday on everything we've covered so far this year, which is a total bummer...

...except for the fact that I have the most beautiful and smartest study partner ever! When class let out and we walked out together I said, "Hey Blake, can I ask you a question?" and she smiled and said "If I'm right about what it is, then the answer is 'yes'." and I was like "Do you want to study for the test together after school?" and she blinked at me for a second and then said "Oh, yes, of course! Good idea Ruby!"

I know she was expecting me to ask her to the dance, because it's getting _really_ close and I haven't even mentioned it to her, but I want to ask her in a way that's really special and shows how important our relationship is to me, and there's _no way_ that 'After talking about the rampage of Ghengis Khan in Oobleck's class' is the right time. It's not romantic or anything, and it doesn't feel right.

In English we started the movie of _The Lord of the Flies_ so it's basically going to be a free period for the rest of the week. After class I asked Jaune if he'd asked Pyrrha to the dance yet and he said "Yeah, I asked her on Friday after I kissed her, just like I told you I would. She said 'yes'!" and I screamed and jumped up and down and hugged him and everyone in the hall was looking at us funnily and Jaune said I was embarrassing him so I tried my best to calm myself down but I was just so happy that my beautiful little darlings are going to go to the dance together! It's like all my hard work is finally paying off! Pyrrha met us in the hallway and I hugged her too and we all laughed and then I went to Math.

Yang's been busy asking me every day if I've asked Blake to the dance yet and she keeps rolling her eyes at me when I tell her 'no'. She keeps saying "You know she's going to say 'Yes' right? So there's nothing to worry about!" but I turned it around on her and inquired if _she_ had been asked to the dance yet, or asked anyone herself, and she just turned away and grumbled "Nah, not interested." If I wasn't too occupied with my own stressful situation I'd explore _that_ response further, but Yang has a lot more experience with teasing than I do and I'm pretty sure I'd lose if it came to a contest.

Weiss and I got to class at the same time and she asked me if I'd asked Blake yet and when I said no she shouted "WHY THE HELL NOT?" and I had to explain my reasoning _again_ , that I was waiting for the right time and place and method, and Weiss covered her face with her hand and said "Ruby, you're over-thinking this. You just need to ask her, it's not like it's a puzzle or a test or anything, just do it!" and then when we sat down Sun came over and said "Hey, Rubes, you asked Blake to the dance yet?"

I was halfway through explaining to _him_ when some knucklehead pulled the fire alarm and we all had to go stand outside in the _freezing cold_ for thirty minutes while the firemen checked the building to see if it was a real fire. I guess they have to, even though it's never a real fire. _Ever!_ It was so annoying, but I got to huddle together with Blake and Sun and Weiss so it wasn't the worst. When we got back to class I couldn't take notes for like ten minutes because my fingers were so numb.

After school I met up with Blake and we both said bye to Yang when she left for her job and then we walked to the coffee shop to study. Her hands were so warm! I don't know how she does that because my fingers are _always_ cold and mittens or gloves never seem to do anything to help. When we were almost there I made her stop so I could get a picture (I remembered my camera today!) of her wearing her earmuffs and that thick scarf she wears that's all black with little white stripes on it and I think it came out _perfect_ because she had that little half-smile that she makes when she's a little embarrassed but her eyes are locked to the camera and are in perfect focus so it looks _amazing_.

When we got to the shop we got our coffees and I got a cookie (like usual) and Blake got some muffins because she said she was hungry and we sat in 'our' table in the back and got out our notes and started studying. There was a lot to cover. We took a break after an hour and I decided to try and get a picture of Blake without her knowing so I waited for her to take a bite of her muffin then I tried to take the fastest picture ever but it was _so weird_.

It was like time slowed down.

One second I was looking at the view screen and there was Blake, looking out the window with a big bite of muffin in her mouth, and I just thought "This is the best moment of my life..." because I realized that I spend practically _all day_ thinking about her and I want to spend every single second of my day with her, and how every time I see her my heart flutters and pounds against my chest and my mouth just breaks into a huge smile all on its own and I get all tingly in my face and stomach and it feels like I'm floating on air and there I was sitting with her. I realized that I really liked everything about her, like how she smells like old books and lavender, how she speaks so quietly like she's timidly offering her voice to the world and letting it savor the sound, and how I really like that glimmer in her eyes that tells me she's thinking, or that quirk of her lips when it's something funny filling her head. Her laugh is like hot chocolate on a cold, snowy day, soothing and warm and delicious, and whenever it bursts from inside her it's like the sun blossoming from behind gray clouds, and I thought "This is the perfect moment!"

I put down my camera and reached over and took her hand and she turned to look at me and I laughed at her expression and her face stuffed with muffin and I said, "Hey, Blake, can I ask you a question?" and she said "Go for it, Ruby." but with all the food in her mouth it sounded like "Ger fer iff, Rubby." and then I said "Will you go to the Winter Dance with me?" and she swallowed and smiled and said "Absolutely! I'd love to!" and then she leaned over the table and kissed me on the lips.

It was really hard to study after all that.

I didn't get home until really late because Blake and I had a lot of material to study and then she walked me back to the school and then we made out for a while and then I walked home. The first second I was through the front door Yang asked me if I asked Blake to the dance and I said "Yes!" and Yang was like "I know, she texted me about it five minutes ago!" and then she laughed and told me dinner would be ready soon.

I ran upstairs and texted Weiss about it and she said "Finally!" and then we agreed we'd take each other dress shopping this Saturday because I need one and she needs one because she's going with Neptune. I'm so excited, I've never been dress shopping before! I bet Weiss knows a lot about dress shopping (she always looks so fabulous and stuff).

After dinner (macaroni and cheese!) I went back to my room and worked on Blake's Christmas present. I got her a book she said she'd been wanting for a long time and I'm going to make her a plate of cookies, but I also wanted to do something extra special (because she's Blake and my girlfriend and stuff) so I put together a bunch of pictures I have of us together and bought a _really_ nice frame and on the back I'm going to write a little love poem because Blake likes poetry and makes me want to write poetry even though I hate it and then I'll wrap it in a bunch of ribbon and put a bow on it and it'll be done! I can't wait to give it to her!

I wish I could see her face when she opens it, but we're going up to Uncle Qrow's for Christmas so I won't be in town :(

But that finishes up all the gifts, so now I just have to wait until the end of next week and try not to spill the beans!

Time for bed, tomorrow is going to be another great day!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - Blake and I texted until 1 in the morning about the dance and everything. I'm going to be so tired in the morning, but it was totally worth it!

...

P.P.S. - I think Mom would have liked Blake. I wish they could have met.


	33. December 19th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Hey Ruby, this is Yang.

I know you hate it when I read your diary or write in it, but right now it's like... I just need to feel like I'm talking to you. And right now I have to hope that someday you'll read this and get angry at me. Because something... something really really bad happened, and Dad's having a hard time and I'm having a hard time and it feels like I just can't talk to anyone right now.

Two days ago, December 17th, there was an accident on your way home from school.

You were crossing the street at the stop sign at the bottom of the hill and the car hit a patch of ice and couldn't stop. No one in the car was hurt. I know that that's what you'd ask about first, so I don't want you to worry. They're fine, but you ar

You're not so good.

They said you weren't conscious when the ambulance got there. I saw all the blood in the street. Now you're in the hospital hooked up to so many machines and it's all a lot like

It's a lot like how I remember Summer.

I'm so sorry, Ruby. I should have walked home with you. I should have been there. I should have protected you. I'm such a horrible big sister. I should have been there, because maybe if I'd been there it wouldn't have

Or it could have been me but that would have been better than you because you're my only sister and I don't know what I'd do if you

If you were gone. If I lost you too...

I'm so sorry Ruby. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry

It's all my fault. I should have been there with you. I'm supposed to be your big sister, but instead I'm not there when it matters most. I should have protected you.

I can't stop thinking about the last time I saw you, walking away from me as I went to work. You were smiling and laughing because you were talking about how you were so excited to dance with Blake but I was only half-listening because I was worried I was going to be late for my shift. I wish I'd listened more. I thought it was going to be just like any other day, but it wasn't. I'm such a horrible sister.

I'm so sorry, Ruby.

I keep getting your diary wet and I'm starting to leave smudges all over it, so now it's ugly and smeared and

Please get well soon.

I'm so scared

…

Hey Ruby, it's Yang again.

Today is Monday, December 21st.

I went to all of your friends today and told them what happened. I haven't been to school since Thursday and I've been spending all my time in the hospital which doesn't have very good cell reception, so they didn't know about the accident.

Nora had a great idea. She said I should bring a notebook to your room and leave it by your bed so your visitors could write to you. Maybe it was a bad choice, but I brought the ladybug diary. I made sure that no one could read the earlier entries, so don't worry.

And I got all the math notes so you won't fall behind. I know you'd worry about that.

Dad was sleeping in a chair next to your bed when I got here. He hasn't left since we first got here on Thursday. I got him some food and a blanket so he'd be a little more comfortable. When he wakes up I'm going to try to convince him to go to work tomorrow. I know he's not going to want to, but he's got to get out of the hospital sometime. We're both going to drop by every day.

And you can expect a lot of visits from your friends soon, so don't worry about being alone. We all care a lot about you, and we're all waiting for you to come back.

Feel better, sis.

I love you.

\- Yang

…

Hey there, Ruby. It's Jaune.

It's Tuesday, December 22nd, and you wouldn't believe how cold it was today. I brought an extra blanket just in case your room gets cold.

Yang and I came over to see you right after school. She's getting us some food from the cafeteria right now, and told me to write something in this notebook. Yang said you picked it out a long time ago; I like all the ladybugs.

Everyone in our English class is pretty beat up about your accident. When I told them today Mr. Port started crying and canceled the lesson plan. We wrote letters to you instead. He said that when he was younger he was hospitalized once and the only thing that made him feel better was the 'Get Well Soon' cards from his friends. Then he started showing us pictures of his daughter and kept saying how he couldn't imagine what he'd do if something similar happened to his little baby girl. She looks just like him by the way, just missing the mustache. I'm finally starting to see why you like him so much.

Everyone gave me the letters to give to you, so I left the stack on the table by your bed.

Cardin came up to me after class and asked me to tell you he was sorry for everything. I think he meant it. I guess this tragedy has made him a little less of an asshole. I tried to get him to come visit you, but he wouldn't. I don't know if you'd have liked him to come, but it felt like the right thing to do.

Don't worry about falling behind while you're in here, I'm taking some seriously good notes for you. I can't wait for you to come back and make jokes again. Whenever I'm going through my old notes and I see one of those little doodles you sneak in all the time I think of you.

And I have to say thanks for helping me with Pyrrha. I don't think I'd have ever asked her out if you hadn't given me a push in the right direction. You're the best friend a guy could ask for.

Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I'd never sat next to you that first day of class. I remember being afraid because I didn't know anyone and I couldn't decide where to sit, and then you raised your hand and smiled at me and said "Come sit here next to me!", and I couldn't help but smile. Something about your energy and enthusiasm was just crazily infectious, and at the end of the day I felt relieved that I'd made a friend. You add a dash of your own personal flair to everything you do, and it always seems like you add a burst of color to my day whenever I talk to you. No matter what it was, whether it was poetry or studying or talking to Pyrrha you were always pushing me forward and supporting me, and now I guess it's my turn to support you.

I hate to think about what my life would be like if you weren't in the rest of it. And don't think for even a second that I'm going to let you out of it easily.

We miss you, Ruby. Get well soon.

\- Jaune Arc

…

 _Hello Ruby, this is Weiss. It is Wednesday, December 23_ _rd_ _._

 _Your sister told me about what happened but I've been too busy to visit you until now. I'm really sorry. You know how it is with me. I feel like such a horrible friend. I wish so much that I could offer some help or some comfort to you, but instead I'm stuck here, powerless, forced to watch my best friend live off of tubes and machines. Why didn't you think of anyone else before getting yourself hurt, you dolt! I should have known something was wrong when you weren't at school on Friday, or when we didn't go dress shopping together. I just thought that...  
_

 _It's not fair that someone who never had a malicious thought in her life suffered such a terrible tragedy._

 _I've missed all our talks, our texts, and our jokes. I feel like I've taken for granted how much different my life has been since I met you, and now that you're here... It's like my life has gone back to the gray despair that you dragged me out of all those weeks ago. I never really had a best friend before this, and now I can't imagine going forward without you next to me. Who will get me to smile even when I've had such a sour day I want to disappear? Who will let me stay for a weekend no questions asked? Who will listen to all my troubles and sincerely try to help me? Who will take me out for ice cream (in Winter, no less) and make me pay?_

 _Who is going to help me choose a wedding dress? Who is going to tell me it's too early to start looking at wedding dresses when I'm still in high school?_

 _Who would answer all these questions with "Neptune, obviously!" and make me laugh so hard I cry?_

 _Who will bring as much color, laughter, and joy into my life as Ruby Rose?_

 _I honestly believe you saved my life, that day you followed me and found me with those pills. But you didn't stop there, you kept checking on me, making sure I was okay. And now I can't help you back. Why do you do these things to me?_

 _Even though I've only known you for a few short months, I can't imagine a future without you._

 _And now I'm dripping onto your diary. I'm sorry. It's just I_

 _Science class is so much easier now that there isn't anyone_ distracting _me with doodles and jokes and drawings and pencils stuck up her nose. When you get better I expect we'll have an extremely lengthy study session so you can get all caught up. And then I can't wait to have you back in class with me so you can start distracting me again._

 _I really wanted to do something for you, so I brought you a big pillow that looks like a dog. It reminded me of Zwei when I saw it. Your sister said you'd love it._

 _Please get well soon. I miss you._

 _\- Weiss Schnee_

…

Hey kiddo, this is your dad.

Your sister is always bugging me to write something to you, so here goes.

I opened the curtains of your window so you could see the snow. I wish you could have seen the storm last night. You always enjoyed watching the flakes fall, always running downstairs from your room screaming at the top of your lungs "It's snowing! It's snowing!" when you were little. The snowflakes were so huge they looked fake. It was almost like a movie. My first thought was that you'd want a picture, so I grabbed your camera out of your room and tried to get a good one, one that looked like something you'd take, but you know how I am with your camera. I never could figure out the buttons. I remember the day you got it, and you sat next to me on the couch and tried to show me how it worked and how to set it up and all I could think about was how proud I was of my little girl who knew so much more about photography than I ever would. I missed the yelling today.

It felt like there was something missing when I woke up this morning, and it's taken me all day to figure it out. There wasn't a little girl jumping on my bed asking if she could go play in the snow. I would have groaned and complained but you would have insisted, and I'd finally get up and help you get dressed in your snow pants and your hat and whichever coat you inherited from Yang that year, and I'd watch from the window while you and your sister would build a snowman or sled down the hill. Then I'd come out to shovel out the cars and you girls would throw snowballs at me. Later, we'd all get hot chocolate and watch old Christmas movies. Shoveling snow has never been more boring or more quiet.

Yang and I finally set up the tree today. Of course it took us until the day before without you hounding us about our Christmas spirit. We could have used your help; you've always had a knack for making it look special. We got a real big one, just like you like, so big you would have needed to sit on your sister's shoulders to put the star on top. Zwei keeps knocking the ornaments off the bottom branches, but nothing has broken yet. I tried to take a picture for you, but I don't have your eye or your talent, so it came out all blurry. I wish you could have been there. It wasn't the same without you.

I put your present on the table by your bed. It's in the little red box with the bow on top. I think you'll like it.

You look so much like your mother. She'd have been very proud of you.

We miss you. Get well soon.

Merry Christmas.

I love you.

Dad.

…

Howdy Ruby, this is your good old Uncle Qrow!

I came by to check on your dad and to see my favorite niece (don't tell your sister)! Showed up just in time to hear the end of the fairy tale he was reading you. I sent him out to get some food for us while I wrote to you.

I hope you won't be mad when I say I peeked through your albums while I was at the house. Looks like little Ruby is becoming quite the photographer! Just like her uncle!

Your dad always tells me that that first camera I gave you for your birthday was the best gift I've ever given,

So I got you a new one for the holidays! Surprise!

Can't wait to see what you do with it.

I left it on the table by your bed. There's quite a stack of things growing there. Looks like you've got a lot of good friends around you, huh?

Your mother would have been so happy to see the woman you've become.

Merry Christmas!

Get well soon.

Love you,

Uncle Qrow

…

Why did this have to happen? Why do things like this keep happening to me? You, Summer, Mom...

What the fuck is so wrong with me that this shit keeps happening?

Dad's yelling at me all the time now because apparently I'm gone for too long at a time. Like he gives a shit, he's either drinking here or drinking at home. It's like he doesn't even really care about anything but his next buzz. Asshole.

It's not fucking fair that this happened.

I should have been there.

What the fuck is wrong with me.

I'm so fucking useless.

And now I'm smudging the fucking ink and it's all messy and

Sorry. I can't help it

I miss you so much. Everything isn't

I miss you. It feels

I'm angry

A customer pissed me off at my job and I punched him. I almost got fired.

I'M SO FUCKING ANGRY

Uncle Qrow told me to calm down and I shoved him. He fell over.

What's wrong with me?

Why wasn't I there for you?

Why am I such a terrible big sister?

I have to go for a drive.

Dad, if you read this, I'll be at Blake's. At least she seems to care.

I'll see you soon Ruby.

I love you.

\- Yang

…

 _Hey there Ruby, this is Pyrrha._

 _I brought Nora and Ren with me. Sorry we haven't visited in a while. You know how things are with the holidays. I'm writing for all of us since Nora was worried about messing up the notebook and Ren's busy trying his best to comfort her. She's taking it really hard._

 _We're all doing well, enjoying our holiday break. You look good, it seems like they're taking good care of you here. Your hair is getting fairly long. It looks good, I hope you keep it that way when you come back to school._

 _Nora says to tell you "Keep it up! You're strong! Never give up!"_

 _I don't think it comes through as well when it's written down; you have to hear her say it. She says it with such conviction, such surety. You know how Nora is, she always puts everything she's got into whatever it is she's doing. She misses you a lot._

 _Ren is his usual self, the quiet contemplative shy guy who gets overshadowed by Nora, but all of us can tell that he's pretty upset about this whole thing. I bet he's taking it a lot harder than he'd ever let us know, and is just putting on a strong face for Nora's sake._

 _As for me, I just wanted to say thanks for all the help you've given me so far. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't confided in you about my feelings towards Jaune. And without you I doubt he ever would have asked me out. Someday we'll need to tell him you were playing both sides. I can't wait to catch you up on everything that's happened!_

 _Nora, Ren, Jaune, and I all pitched in and got you a thick red sweater for Christmas. Yang and Blake helped us pick it out. We left it by everything else on the table. We hope you like it!_

 _Please get well soon, we miss you._

 _Merry Christmas!_

 _We'll see you again soon._

 _\- Pyrrha (and Nora and Ren)._

…

Hi

I ran into your sister at her job and she said she'd kick my ass again if I didn't visit you and write something.

So I hope you get better.

See you in class.

Cardin

…

Hi sis, it's Yang again.

Happy New Year!

I'm really sorry I haven't visited in a while. Dad had to go back to work and my boss said I couldn't take any more sick days, so we've been kind of busy. Sorry. But it looks like you've had a lot of visitors! There's a whole huge pile of stuff for you on the table! Someone even left you roses!

You've always been in my thoughts. I missed going sledding with you, opening presents with you, sharing hot chocolate in front of the TV, staying up late to watch the ball drop...

They say you never know how much you'll miss something until it's gone. Never has that been more true than having you stuck in here. Nothing is the same anymore.

It feels a lot like wh

I brought the little stuffed bear I got you for Christmas. He's really cute and I think you'll like him. I left it on the table by the sweater. I hope you like him.

I moved the roses closer to your bed. I know how much you like them.

I'm glad so many people are thinking about my baby sis.

I hope you feel better. We miss you.

I love you.

I'll be back soon.

\- Yang.

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	34. January 2nd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.  
_

* * *

 _Hey Ruby, it's me._

 _This is my fifth visit, but the first time I've written anything. I never knew what to say before, and I still don't but... I'll try my best. That seems like a good place to start._

 _I wonder what it is that you remember about September. Do you remember when the color of the leaves began to change? Do you remember which days were windy and which days were warm? Do you remember what you had for breakfast? Do you remember what you wore to school the first day? Do you remember how many pictures you took?_

 _I remember a lot about September. I remember a short girl with silver eyes and the biggest, most adorable smile I'd ever seen saying 'Hi!' to me when I walked into class. I remember her brown hair that changed to red the next week, and how it felt when I ran my fingers through it. I remember thinking it was strange that she could talk so fast but take notes so slowly. I remember watching her out of the corner of my eye and moving my notebook so she could read it easier. I remember when she asked me if I wanted to study with her, and I remember being overjoyed to be able to say 'Yes'. I remember she wore boots and a beautiful red dress underneath a jacket. I remember her telling me her favorite flowers are roses while she sipped from her caramel macchiato when we studied together in the coffee shop. I remember being nervous about how I looked when she asked to take my picture. I remember being stunned by the picture she handed me, and laughing when she got embarrassed. I remember thinking that this girl made me happy, in a way that neither books nor coffee nor flowers could ever compare, and I remember trying to figure out why._

 _I wonder what it is that you remember about October. You probably remember Halloween pretty well, knowing you._

 _I remember a lot about October too. I remember the girl from class bumping into me in the library. I remember being in total disbelief when she showed up again the next day with a plate piled high with the most delicious cookies I've had in my life. I remember nearly crying when she called me her friend. I remember the feeling of her hand, warm and soft and clenched around mine, as she dragged me to the cafeteria and shoved me into a chair next to all her other friends, friends I've had ever since and would never have met without her help. I remember that I wanted to spend all my time with her, and praying at night that she was like me._

 _I remember being scared I'd annoyed her when she started avoiding me. I remember being sad that she didn't seem to want to study with me again. I remember trying to think of what I did wrong. I remember feeling like it was hopeless, and that I'd made a mistake._

 _I remember calling her sister at three in the morning to talk about it. I remember agonizing over how I looked for Pyrrha's Halloween party because there was going to be a beautiful silver-eyed girl I had a crush on there and I wanted to look perfect. I remember panicking when Yang dragged her over to me and we danced. I remember being happy when I caught her staring at me. I remember the trash can in my room being filled with crumpled-up love notes because I couldn't put how I felt into words. I remember holding my phone in my hands, with her name highlighted and her voice only a finger tap away, sweating over what I'd say if she actually picked up. I remember staying up all night trying to think of the best way to ask her out._

 _I wonder what it is that you remember about November._

 _I remember the most about November. I remember the weeks that went by, worrying about my feelings and how to express them. I remember crying on Yang's shoulder thinking that it would never work out, that I'd be rejected or that our slowly growing friendship would be burned to the ground. I remember the feeling of my heart shattering when that beautiful girl didn't speak after my confession. I remember thinking everything was over._

 _I remember getting the air knocked out of me when she crashed into my chest and hugged me, but it didn't matter; I was breathless from hearing her say she'd go out with me. I remember the feeling of her arms around me, and how happy I was to know she liked me too. I remember not being able to sleep that night because my heart was pounding too quickly._

 _I remember waking up early on the day of our first date and going through my entire wardrobe to try and find the best thing to wear. I remember spending hours in the bathroom trying to get my makeup just right. I remember being so nervous I felt like I was going to throw up. I remember less of the movie we watched and more of what you looked like while you watched the movie. I remember taking your hand and exactly how it felt. It was warm, and soft, and every so often it squeezed mine and I couldn't keep my chuckles to myself. I remember wanting desperately to kiss you, but thinking that it would have been too soon. I remember running circles around my room because I was so happy._

 _I remember everything about the arcade, because it was probably the best day of my life. I remember how you smiled while we danced, I remember how you laughed when I tried the pizza, I remember the look on your face when I gave you the book, I remember the chill of your skin on my lips when I finally built up the courage to kiss you. I remember being too distracted thinking about it afterwards that I ran a red light._

 _I wonder what it is that you remember about December._

 _I remember playing in the snow with you, and hearing you laugh and scream when I hit you with a snowball. I remember walking with you, holding your hand and feeling its warmth spread up my arm and into my chest. I remember waiting anxiously for you to ask me to the dance, and being a little disappointed when you just asked to study. I remember looking into your camera with my face full of muffin and expecting you to laugh at me. I remember being unable to move when you surprised me with your question. I remember kissing you and tasting coffee on your lips._

 _I will always remember these things._

 _But I also remember hearing my world crumble around me when your sister told me what happened. I remember not being able to think when I first saw you here, laying so still._

 _These are the things I am afraid I will never be able to forget._

 _You are still so beautiful, even hooked up with tubes and wires, the way your hair hangs over your face, the way your eyes are so gently closed, like you're sleeping. Your hand is still warm when I hold it. I'm sitting here, next to you, watching you breathe, so softly, so faint, and I still can't believe what's happened. Why? Why you? Nothing this terrible should happen to someone so young, so cheerful, so kind. Someone who has helped so many people._

 _You've changed my life in so many different ways, from our first meeting to the library to the arcade, that now each day feels odd and empty without you in it, guiding me along by my hand, journeying forward to the next moment that we'll get to share together._

 _And there are so many moments I want to share._

 _I want to hold you again, even if only once more. I want you to see me in my dress that I haven't worn yet, and I want to see you in yours. I want to dance with you. I want to see my reflection in the lens of your camera again, then see your smile when you look at the picture. I want to hear your laugh when you tell me about what Jaune did in English class. I want to see you struggle frantically to take notes while Oobleck chatters on and on and on, then I want you to give me that pleading look I can't resist so I'll give you my notes._

 _I want to see your eyes sparkle the way they do when I see you each day. I want to see all the pictures you take, even the ones you think are bad. I want to read with you in the library. I want to climb a tree with you. I want to share my coffee with you. I want to feel that rush I get whenever I see you walking towards me. I want to see that light in your eyes that tells me every moment I spend with you will be the best moment of my life._

 _I want to remember hearing about you waking up, and I want to remember the smile on your face when I burst through the door._

 _I've thought about you every single day; you're my first thought every morning and my last one every night._

 _I'm sorry, I'm getting the pages wet._

 _You need to get better, Ruby, not just for me but for everyone who loves you. Yang, your dad, Weiss, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Jaune._

 _I have to go now, but I promise I'll be back again._

 _We all miss you. Please wake up._

 _I l-_

 _\- Blake._

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.  
**


	35. January 5th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Keep moving forward.**

* * *

Today is Tuesday, January 5th.

They said I woke up yesterday.

The nurse was checking on me in the middle of the night and she said I bolted straight up, screamed "STRAWBERRIES!" and then passed out. She said it was the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to her since she started working at the hospital.

Today I woke up sometime after lunch, and I only know that because when I opened my eyes Dad was there and he was still eating his sandwich. I said "Can I have some?" and he jumped up and started crying and he hugged me and I wanted to hug him back but I couldn't move my arms very well. After a bit the doctors came in and started doing a bunch of tests to see how I felt and how I was recovering. Then they explained everything to me.

I don't remember anything about the accident. I remember leaving school, and then I woke up in the hospital. It was pretty surprising finding out it was January already and that I missed Christmas and New Years because I was in a coma.

They said I was really lucky that I wasn't paralyzed, and also that I didn't have any major brain damage. They said I might have some trouble speaking for a while, but it should go away eventually. Right now it's really weird. I can think of everything I want to say just fine, but when I try to speak it's like my tongue forgets how to make sounds so my words come out all jumbled and sometimes I'll just cut off halfway through a sentence, so talking with people has been difficult. I've had to resort to mime more than once, but after this Dad and I will be really good at charades. I'm supposed to start speech therapy tomorrow and physical therapy this weekend.

I've got four pins in my left leg and two in my left arm, so I have to write with my right hand. It's difficult and annoying because that's where they hooked me up to the IV and if I move it too much it hurts a little. I already pulled it out once when I tried to hug Dad. I also have casts on my arm and leg and they probably won't come off for a long time. Dr. Amber says writing is good to help me get some dexterity and hand-eye coordination back.

They held up a mirror so I could see my new haircut. They had to shave the whole left side of my head for my brain surgery but that was almost a month ago so I've got really short brown fuzz on one side that barely covers up the scar and on the other side I've got longish red hair. It doesn't look too bad, if I'm honest, but I'm not going to keep it that way, no matter how badass Dad says it looks.

They don't want me trying to leave the bed anytime soon until I gain some more weight and muscle back, so I'm probably going to be in here for another week or two which stinks because I'm not really a big fan of hospitals and the view out my windows isn't great and there's nothing on TV and there's like no cell signal and there are a ton of people I want to see. Also bedpans are really uncomfortable and gross.

Yang came by as soon as she could and gave me a big hug and pulled out my IV again so Dr. Amber yelled at her to not jostle me or anything because I was really weak and could get injured again easily.

She told me about how everyone came to visit me and left a bunch of notes in the diary and even though I was kind of mad that she used my _diary_ for it I was really glad she did it so I could read what everyone wrote. I cried a lot when I read through all the entries – it was really... comforting and heartwarming to see how everyone felt, but I also felt really bad that I made so many people worry about me. This wouldn't have happened if I had been more careful when I crossed the street, and then so many of my friends and family would've been spared so much trouble.

Yang laughed when I asked about all the gifts people left and she said that the doctors made them take them out because it was starting to block access to my bed, so all the presents and stuff are at home. Only some roses are left. I can't believe I missed Christmas! I was all ready and everything!

She asked if I wanted to say anything to my friends, and I said I wanted her to tell them that I was awake and wanted to see them as soon as possible and to thank them for all the kind words they wrote to me. I can't wait for everyone to visit me! Dr. Amber said they wanted to wait a little while to make sure I was doing okay before letting anyone other than family in, and wouldn't listen when I argued that I was great and should be allowed to go home.

I want to see Jaune and Pyrrha together and have them tell me about the dance,

I want to see Weiss and let her catch me up on all the science notes,

And I want to see Blake and tell her all the things I remember.

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I can't say her name. It won't come out right. I can't say her name. I can think of her, I can think of her name, I can envision the letters in my head, but I _can't say it_. It keeps coming out as "Bl-" and then my tongue stops working. Dad got a chuckle out of it, saying that after all I've been through and everything that's wrong with my body right now the two things I'm most upset about are missing Christmas and not being able to say my girlfriend's name. I get how he feels but I'm so angry right now. This sucks.

...

P.P.S. - I can't sleep. I keep thinking too much and whenever I can feel myself about to fall asleep I think about something else and wake myself up. I was fine during the day but it gets easier to think about what's happened when it's quiet and no one's sticking things in me or on me or talking to me.

What if I had never woken up? What would have happened to Yang or to Dad? Would they have been okay? Or Uncle Qrow? Who would feed and walk Zwei?

Would Weiss ever make another friend? What if she started taking pills again? What if she accidentally killed herself?

Would Blake have kept up with her grades? Would she have gone to the college she wanted? Would she have moved on?

Would she have ended up happy?

What if I had gotten worse? Would they have... stopped?

What if I had died? Would I have seen Mom? Is this what she felt like before she-

There are too many questions.

I can't sleep.

...

P.P.P.S. - Thank goodness Blake didn't walk home with me that day. I don't know what I would have done if...

* * *

 **Sorry the chapter is short.**

 **Tell the people you care about that you love them today.**

 **Happy Valentine's Day.**


	36. January 8th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Friday, January 8th.

I think if I'm in the hospital for one more day I'm going to go crazy, and I haven't even started physical therapy yet. All I do is sit in bed and watch whatever crap is on TV and three times a day a nurse will bring me something to eat but it's never any good really (hospital food is so nasty) so I don't finish it and then Dr. Amber comes in and yells at me about how if I want to leave sooner I need to eat to gain more weight and muscle so then I finish my food but I'm just getting more and more frustrated with the whole thing! And I hate having an IV because if I try to roll onto my side it tugs on my skin and hurts and I keep pulling it out so then I have to call a nurse to come put it back in and they start getting annoyed after the fifth time or so. I don't understand why I can't go home; it's all I want to do.

The only thing I've found to watch on TV besides commercials or the news is this weird telenovela drama about two families that live in a canyon and they hate each other but neither remembers why and I think I'm somewhere in the middle of the season (if they have seasons for telenovelas) so I'm just really confused. It doesn't help that they're all speaking Spanish and only one character speaks English but I can't get a grasp of what's going on through context because all he does is sigh and complain and remind them what his name is. The show doesn't make any sense – one of the characters died and then came back as a ghost but apparently is also still alive and has a girlfriend who is a ghost too. Who writes this stuff?

It's a good thing that my friends came to visit me today, because I was about to start using my bedpan as a palette to fingerpaint on the walls. Dr. Amber said yesterday that she thought I was recovered enough for people other than family to visit, so Yang said she'd bring everyone by today. I was a little nervous because I look silly with my funny haircut and I still can't speak super well (although I'm better than when I woke up, speech therapy actually works!) but I just really wanted to see everyone.

When everyone got here I kind of understood why Dr. Amber wanted to wait because with a bunch of people in my (suddenly small) room it felt really claustrophobic and I was really self-conscious of how I looked and every movement I made. On a normal day I'd usually talk with _maximum_ five people at a time at lunch, but today there were nine people! Yang brought Blake (of course), Weiss (obviously), Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, and Sun and I could feel myself getting more and more tired as they kept walking through the door. I'm not good with lots of people all at once.

Anyway, they all came over right after school and sat all around my room in a big circle, although Blake and Weiss both ran over and hugged me first. They all wanted to hear how I was feeling so I told them that I was doing pretty well and that I was getting a lot better and how I wished I could go back to school with them all. It was hard to speak so I had to fill in a lot of it with hand signs and sometimes Yang was able to finish my sentences for me. I avoided trying to say Blake's name because I don't know how she'd feel about that and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I'm sure she'd understand, but I just... I don't know. I wanted to stop talking as soon as I could because I was embarrassed by my aphasia so right after I thanked them all for coming and for writing in my diary I asked them to catch me up with what was happening with them.

Jaune and Pyrrha told me all about the dance and how it was organized by Coco and Velvet which made me really sad that I missed it because with those two in charge there's no _way_ that it wasn't awesome. They showed me some pictures on their phones and I was really jealous that I couldn't go. Pyrrha said Jaune was _sooooo_ romantic and picked her up with his dad in their car and took her to dinner and then they went to the dance and she said that Jaune was an incredible dancer. Jaune was like "Pyrrha stop no please" and blushed and we all laughed at him so Pyrrha kissed him to make him feel better.

Weiss said that she placed second in her fencing competition and I was really happy for her even though she seemed disappointed. Then she told everyone that she was singing in a concert later in January and we were all invited. I was really impressed! I can't wait! Hopefully I'm out of the hospital by then.

Sun reached into his backpack and pulled out a whole bunch of the puddings that are always in the cafeteria and gave them to me. He said that Yang told him I hated all the hospital food so he thought he'd bring me some 'good' food to cheer me up. I like Sun, he's cool.

Nora told me about how she and Ren went to his family's house in the mountains for break and that one day Ren went out at like six in the morning and came back with a whole ten-point buck across his shoulders and sometime along the way he lost his shirt and grew a long, thick beard and that he also chopped down a tree with his bare hands and that he carried her all the way up the mountain on his back and when she was done Ren coughed and said "Nora, most of that isn't true." and Nora was like "Yeah, but it's more exciting this way!" and we all laughed.

Blake was sitting next to me and we held hands the whole time. She has the warmest hands; I felt completely better just lying there with her fingers intertwined with mine. She didn't talk a lot, but she did lean her head against my shoulder. She didn't really need to talk, I think I understood. When everyone left she kissed me and gave me a book to read. _Finally_ something to do other than try and learn Spanish curse words. I'm really glad that I got to see her and everyone else. But mostly her.

Dad came by on his way home from work to check on me and I told him he needs to tell the doctors that I WANT TO GO HOME! He laughed and told me he'd try, but it was mostly up to me and if I tried _really really_ hard to get better, I'd get to go home sooner. Also I think he stole one of the puddings Sun gave me when he left. I'm sure it's sitting half-eaten on a counter somewhere.

After that I just read the book Blake gave me until a nurse brought me 'dinner' and then I watched a little more of the telenovela.

Time for bed. Going to start physical therapy tomorrow! I can't wait to get out of this stupid bed!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I met the man who hit me. His name is Mr. Torchwick, and he asked me if it was okay if he talked to me for a little. When I said "Yes" he took off his coat and sat across the room from me. He took a long time to start talking, and he couldn't look me in the eye. He apologized, profusely, and wished me a swift recovery. He said he felt horrible about everything, and explained his side.

It didn't happen because he was drunk, it didn't happen because he was on his phone, and it didn't happen because he _tried_ to hit me. It happened because his wheels hit the ice at the wrong time, and he was terrified as he watched his car hurtle towards me. He said he was screaming, crying, and praying for me to move, and that he won't ever be able to forget the _sound_. I believe him, and I wouldn't wish that weight onto anyone's shoulders. I told him that I forgive him, and I gave him a hug before he left.

It was just as much my fault as his, and I don't blame him for anything.

Sometimes bad things just happen.

It didn't kill me, it just slowed me down for a while. I'll be back on my feet and moving forward again in no time!

I still really really really really _really really really_ want to go home though.

...

P.P.S. - I couldn't sleep so I turned on the telenovela. At least it's good for something – it distracts me from the questions.

...

P.P.P.S. - My physical therapist saw the light under my door and came in to say 'hi' and tell me about what we were going to do tomorrow. He asked if I had any goals that I wanted to reach, saying that sometimes it helps patients work harder and recover faster if they're working towards something.

I said I did.

I want to dance with my girlfriend.

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	37. January 15th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Thank you to Darkstar6195 for pointing out an inconsistency.  
**

* * *

Today is Friday, January 15th.

They finally let me out of the hospital today!

Ever since my casts came off a couple days ago my physical therapist has been pushing me super hard and then yesterday he said that he thought I was good enough to be able to manage on my own with crutches and a boot until I was _fully_ healed as long as I was careful and didn't try anything too difficult. It feels really great to be able to write with my left hand again, but my fingers feel stiff and clunky. My right hand was getting pretty good too, but always felt strange. I still can't do anything like play softball or pick up heavy stuff with my left arm until the doctors say it's okay, but being able to scratch my wrist when it gets itchy is totally worth it.

Even though I can kind of walk on my own they made me use a wheelchair when we checked out of the hospital and drove me home in an ambulance and everything even though Dad was there and could have taken me. It was freaky getting carried up the stairs and getting moved around by people behind me, but as soon as I was comfortable on a couch they said "Bye! Get well soon!" and left with the wheelchair.

Dad had everything set up for me – he had blankets and pillows and stuff all over the couch and put my crutches in easy reach in case I wanted to go somewhere or if I had to pee and then he told me to just lay there and watch TV for a while. I wasn't going to complain! It was _so_ much better than being in the hospital. He made me some grilled cheese sandwiches and watched TV with me until he had to take Zwei for a walk. When he got back we did some of the easier stretches and exercises my therapist ordered us to do. Dad's a lot gentler than my therapist was! He probably just doesn't want to hurt me, but I had to keep telling him to push harder and reassuring him that I was, ever so truly, alright even though I made a tiny little grunt of pain. It's PT, it's _supposed_ to hurt a little.

After that I watched TV some more while Dad tried to get some work done from home, and sometime in the middle of the day I fell asleep. When I woke up Yang and Blake were sitting with me watching some movie about four guys trying to save the world from aliens and I screamed "Bl-!" (because I still can't say her name) and they both jumped because they thought I was still asleep and I tried to stand up and give her a hug but instead I just fell off the couch. I was fine, but of course they both freaked out and scrambled to pick me up and I couldn't get a word in edgewise about how I was okay because they kept asking me if I was hurt.

When I finally convinced them that I was okay they sat me back on the couch and Blake sat next to me and we hugged. I asked her how her day went and she said that Oobleck's giving too much homework and that Peach wants her to write a three-page essay on ' _Beowulf_ ' and she needs to have a submission for the school's newspaper by Monday. Then she said "I have to do all that but all I _want_ to do is check and see if you're okay..." and then she kissed me on the cheek and Yang made puking noises so we both glared at her until she stopped.

Dad came by to check on me and asked Blake if she was staying for dinner but Blake said that she wished she could but she had to go. I was like "No, stay!" and Blake said that I tempted her but she really had something to do so I kissed her goodbye and _both_ Yang and Dad make puking noises so I threw pillows at them. I threw one too hard and hurt my arm and everyone was like "Oh no Ruby are you okay?!" and I was like "Yes!"

I can tell that that's going to get annoying quickly.

Yang didn't have work today so after Blake left we watched TV together. I found the channel that had that Spanish soap opera and after I caught Yang up on who was who and how many people were ghosts we made up what was going on.

Dad made hamburgers for dinner and all three of us watched a movie together. It was like everything was back to normal, except right before the climax we had to pause because I had to do more PT.

Kind of a slow day today, but it's so much better than being in the hospital and plugged with tubes and wires and crap. No more bedpans!

I'm going to go read some more of that book Blake gave me then go to bed.

Goodnight!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - Why didn't the doctors tell me that going up stairs in crutches was _impossible!_ I fell down twice! I didn't fall _hard_ or anything, but it wasn't fun! The first time I was on like the third step and Dad came rushing over and was like "Are you okay, Ruby?!" and I was like "Yeah, just slipped a little..." and then I stood up and got like two steps higher before I fell again. Dad said "Forget it, you're sleeping on the couch tonight." and then he picked me up and carried me back to the couch and brought me some blankets. Zwei came over and jumped on top of me and curled into a ball. It was like he and Dad were in cahoots about not letting me get up.

...

P.P.S. - I was smacking myself because today would have been the perfect opportunity to give Blake her Christmas present, but when I complained about it to Yang she winked at me and said "I think it'd be better to wait on that, Rubes..."

So I don't know what's going on, but I guess it's going to involve Christmas presents. Unless she wants me to wait all the way until next December, in which case she's crazy, because I'm giving Blake her Christmas present ASAP even if I have to hobble all the way to her house to do it!

...

P.P.P.S. - I woke up in the middle of the night to pee and realized that I fell asleep without a problem, and I couldn't figure out why.

My mind isn't filled with scary what-ifs anymore.

It's like now that I'm home, safe and surrounded by people who love me, everything is going to be okay.

That and there's no machine beeping like a self-destruct sequence every time my oxygen level dips below 70. Goodness, that machine was the worst.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

XOXO :3

* * *

 **Apologies for the decrease in chapter quality and length.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	38. January 16th

**Sorry this chapter is late. I forgot.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Saturday, January 16th.

It is hard for me to describe how perfect today has been.

To start with, I got the first good night's sleep I've had since before the accident. I'm not entirely sure what time I fell asleep last night, but I slept until after 10:30 today, which is surprising because the latest I've ever woken up was nine and also the windows in the living room let in a lot of sunlight and also if I'm ever in easy reach of the floor Zwei likes to lick my face when he gets hungry around six in the morning.

Anyway, Dad woke me up at like 10:36 and asked if I wanted some breakfast and I was like "Yes, absolutely!" because I was _starving_ and then he helped me stand up and hobble over to the table. Yang brought out some pancakes and sausages and syrup and the three of us ate together. I could tell something was weird though because Dad normally reads the news parts of the newspaper and Yang reads the comics but today they just kept glancing at each other and then at me so finally I asked "What are you guys up to?" and Yang said "Ruby, do you feel up to meeting all your friends again?" and I said "Yeah of course, duh," and then she said "Great! Because they're going to be here in an hour!"

I was like "What?!" because I was still in my pajamas and I hadn't showered in like three weeks and I still had to do my morning PT and I totally wasn't ready for everyone to see me like that.

I finished breakfast at super speed and then did my PT really quick (I probably did it all wrong) and then tried to climb the stairs to shower but I got stuck and Dad said I would just have to use the downstairs shower and he'd get me some clothes to wear, so I had to wait while he got my towel and my shampoo and conditioner and soap and a change of clothes and then I had to use the shower that he uses which I don't like because it has two knobs (one for temperature and one for water) when the upstairs one only has one knob so it's not like it's hard it's just weird. It also feels smaller, but luckily the one time I almost fell down I caught myself. I swear, if Yang or Dad heard that I'd fallen in the shower I wouldn't be able to shower by myself for the rest of the year.

When I was trying to brush my oddball hair (scar is almost completely hidden!) into something that looked half-decent it finally occurred to me that I didn't know _why_ all my friends were coming over. I thought at first that it was just to say 'hi' and celebrate me coming home and stuff, but when I got out of the shower I saw Yang and Dad trying to sneakily bring down my Christmas presents from my room and I was like "What's going on?"

Yang said "Well, we all could tell how bummed you were that you missed Christmas – it's no secret that it's your favorite holiday – so I talked to everyone at school and asked Dad if it would be okay if we had an extra-late Christmas celebration when you came home!" and then when I went back to the living room there was a _huge_ pile of presents and letters and pillows that looked like dogs stacked in the corner and I could even see that they'd found _my_ presents even though I hid them behind Mom's stuff in my closet. I knew what some things were because people had written about it in the diary, but there was still a bunch of stuff that was wrapped and everything.

Less than thirty seconds later the doorbell rang and Dad and Yang were still busy getting stuff ready so I had to 'rush' over to the door to let people in and my stupid crutch got caught in the door frame (I hate these things!) but I finally got there and opened the door and Weiss and Blake and Jaune and Pyrrha and Ren and Nora and even Sun were all there and they all screamed "Merry Christmas, Ruby!" at me and I was so happy I started to cry a little and I hugged everyone as they came in and then Blake helped me get back to the couch so I wasn't standing on my leg for too long.

Dad brought out chairs for everyone to sit on then went to make coffee while we all chatted about what was going on at school and Blake sat next to me and I snuggled with her and she held my hand and I was really excited to see her open my present. Yang made cinnamon rolls and gave one to everybody and then when we finished eating she said it was time to start opening presents.

Everyone wanted me to go first but I was like "No, that's not fair" but Weiss said "Ruby, we're all here to celebrate Christmas with _you_ , so it's only natural that you go first. Trust me, we don't mind waiting. We've already waited a long time just for this." and then she tossed me a gift. I looked at everyone and they all nodded at me and smiled and I was like "Okay!" I'm not going to complain about getting a whole bunch of stuff.

I decided I wasn't going to make all my friends suffer through me reading every one of the letters I got, so I started with the present Weiss threw at me. It was a _beautiful_ red knit sweater, and Pyrrha cheered and said that it was from her and Ren and Nora. I tried it on and immediately felt like I could go to Antarctica with nothing else and be fine. It was so soft and it fit perfectly – I was amazed. Pyrrha admitted that she got some help from Yang and Blake, but that it was Nora and Ren's idea, she just payed for it. I thought it was great, and made sure to say 'Thank You' to each of them.

The next one was in a small box and when I opened it up there was a sparkly pen inside decorated with roses. Jaune said it was from him, and that he chose it because we share an English class and I'm always doodling so he thought a nice pen would help make my doodles even more impressive. He confessed that he had had to ask Mr. Port for an idea. I'll have to thank him when I get back to class!

Yang threw me hers next, and even though I already knew what it was (a cute little stuffed bear holding a rose!), I still really liked it. It's going to sit right next to me by my bed with my other stuffed animals!

Weiss' was next, and she said she got me another one because she thought the dog pillow wasn't enough even though I said that it totally was. She literally said "Nonsense! You deserve more!". It was so perfectly wrapped I felt bad that I had to rip it open because I couldn't undo the ribbon with only my one hand (Leftie isn't great with small stuff yet). Inside was the softest looking hat I'd ever seen. Weiss said it was alpaca wool, and that it was warmer and softer than sheep wool. Of course she'd know about stuff like that. It matched perfectly with the sweater Pyrrha and Nora and Ren got me, and covered up all my short hair while my long hair would still hang out. I can't wait to wear it every day!

Then I picked up another one and Blake said that it was hers, and that after seeing everyone else's presents she felt a little ashamed of it. I opened it up and it was – surprise – a book. Blake said that it was from the same author of the one she gave me after our date at the arcade which I said I liked, and then she told me to look at the inside of the front cover. IT WAS SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR! I was like "I don't know what you're talking about Blake, this is a fantastic gift! I love it so much!" and then I hugged her and when I pulled away I noticed everyone was looking at me funny, so I was like "What?"

Blake said "Ruby, you... you just said my name."

There was like a full minute of silence, and then I gasped and shouted "I CAN SAY YOUR NAME!" and I hugged her again and she kissed me and everyone cheered. I wonder how long it would have gone on for if Uncle Qrow hadn't chosen right then to arrive and interrupt us by ringing the doorbell. He's always late to everything.

He popped in, asked what all the hub-bub was about, grabbed a cinnamon roll and sat down next to Dad. I guess technically he was perfectly on time, because I opened his present next. I knew it was a camera since he wrote about it in the diary, but I didn't expect how _expensive_ a camera it would be. The one he got me was like three tiers of quality better than the one I had. When I was gushing over it and saying 'Thank You' fifty times a second he just said "Yeah, yeah. Make sure to show me what you can do with it." I'm so excited to use it! The first thing I did was take a picture of everyone sitting around me.

Then Dad stood up and went to his room and came back with a little red box with a bow and an even smaller white box that was all dusty. He gave me the red box first and said that that was his gift. I opened it and inside was a gorgeous silver necklace with a small rose-shaped pendant. I think it's beautiful. Then he handed me the white box and said that it was Mom's gift.

The room got kind of quiet when I opened it, but everyone "Ooooh"-ed when I pulled out the pair of silver rose earrings. Uncle Qrow said "I recognize those! Summer used to wear them all the time!" and Dad nodded and said "Yup. They were her favorites. She would always say she couldn't wait for Ruby to be old enough to wear them too. I'll bet they'll look just as good on you."

I was so shocked I couldn't move, so Blake and Yang picked up the earrings and switched them with the ones I was wearing. Everyone kind of sighed when they were done. I could tell Dad was trying not to cry, and Uncle Qrow couldn't look away from me. I couldn't hold back my tears, and I got up and hobbled my way over to Dad and gave him a big hug. I'm going to wear the earrings as often as I can.

When we all sort-of recovered from that, I said "That's all the gifts for me, everyone else's turn!" but then I felt Blake elbow Sun and he cleared his throat and said "Not quite yet, Rubes." He stood up and said "This one takes a little bit of backstory to understand. I've been friends with Blake for a long time, and recently I've noticed that she seems to really like spending time with short little Ruby over here, so..." and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled-up envelope and handed it to me and told me to open it.

Inside were two tickets to the big dance club that's in town that's _really_ hard to get into unless you buy tickets like a month in advance. I heard Blake gasp and then say "Sun, I just said you had to get a _card_ , you didn't have to-" and Sun cut her off and said "Blake, look, I had an idea. Just go with it." and I stood up and hugged Sun and said that I felt really bad because he gave me this awesome gift but I didn't get him anything! He just laughed and told me it's okay, as long as I made sure Blake had fun when we went to the club. Blake gave him a kiss on the cheek for being sweet.

So then, since I had opened all of _my_ presents, everyone got to open the ones from me! Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren all went first because their presents were all the same. I got them inscribed wooden friendship necklaces! Jaune's has a P, Pyrrha's has a J, Ren's has an N, and Nora's has an R. They all seemed to like them!

Weiss went next; I got her this pair of silver earrings that are like straight bars, but they're elegant and classy and beautiful all at once and when I saw them in the store I was like "This makes sense for Weiss" so I bought them. I think she liked them.

I made Yang go next, and she screamed when she opened the box. I got her a set of some nice bar-end mirrors for when she gets her bike (I had to do a lot of research) and they came with these cool decals you can put on stuff and then to round it all out I also got her an orange scarf that had this really cool heart symbol embroidered into it. It was advertised as a 'driving scarf' but I thought it would work just as well for when she was riding her motorcycle. She basically tackled me when she hugged me to say thanks.

Blake wanted to go next, but I wanted to save hers for last so I gave Dad his gift. I got him a blue and yellow silk tie (it was so expensive!) and three pairs of funny socks. He's talking all the time about socks so I thought it'd be nice to get him some that are comfortable and long-lasting but also have some fun designs. I saw the tie when I was shopping for everybody and thought "When does Dad _not_ need another tie?" Yang started laughing and when we asked her what was wrong she said "Nothing, it's just... you got a _tie_ for _Tai_!" and Dad just groaned. Uncle Qrow chuckled though.

Uncle Qrow tried to leave before I could give him his gift. I got him a flask (needed Dad's help to order it) with a hula girl on it. He said he was never going to put it down, and I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Then finally it was Blake's turn and I personally handed her her present, then rushed to get my new camera ready so I could get a picture of her reaction. I put it down when she opened it though, because watching her through the viewscreen was _nothing_ like watching her in person. Sure, it would have made for a great picture, but this way I'll always remember it.

She started slowly, taking quick glances at me the further through the wrapping she got, until suddenly she was all the way through. I watched her eyes widen when she saw the book (I put that on top), and she smiled as she pulled it out and held it in her hands. She said "Thank you, Ruby, I've been wanting to read this for _ages_ ," and I said "There's more." She gave me another little smile and a lift of her eyebrow, then turned back to the box and reached in again. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest when she gasped and put a hand to her mouth. All the tissue paper I packed in there to make sure the frame stayed safe crinkled like popping popcorn as she pulled out the picture. There were tears in her eyes when she looked at me. I said "Look at the back," and she turned it over and I watched her eyes move side to side as she read the poem I wrote. For a second I was scared that she'd read it out loud and I'd be embarrassed, but she kept it to herself; the room was silent as we all watched her. When she finished, she leaped on me and smothered my face with kisses and I couldn't stop laughing.

Then Uncle Qrow ruined the whole mood by saying "So are you gonna show us or what?" He always does stuff like that! Anyway, Blake held the frame up so everyone could see all the pictures of us and Pyrrha and Yang went "Aawwww!" and Nora hugged Ren and Dad grinned at Uncle Qrow and Uncle Qrow grinned at Dad and Jaune and Sun both rolled their eyes. Blake kissed me again.

After that we played some games while Uncle Qrow and Dad talked about stuff in the kitchen until everyone had to go home.

More stuff happened, but none of it was nearly as worth remembering as this January 'Christmas'.

I can say Blake's name, and I'm going to dance with her!

It was a perfect day!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - Dear Mom,

I miss you a lot. Thank you very much for the earrings, they're beautiful. I love you.

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	39. January 21st

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Thursday, January 21st.

Today was my first day back at school after over a month. I guess I was thinking about it subconsciously because I had a dream that I was late for a test (I hate those dreams!) and so I woke up at like 5:30 and I was all sweaty and my hair is so long now that it gets stuck in my mouth while I sleep which is really nasty and then I couldn't get back to sleep so I just decided to get up and get ready for school.

I came down while Dad was still in the shower so he was kind of surprised to see me eating breakfast when he got out. He asked if I was excited or nervous to go back to school but I didn't really know how to feel so I just shrugged. He said he was sure I'd have fun being able to see all my friends again and starting to get back to a normal routine.

It was a good thing I got up early because it takes me forever to go up and down the stairs so by the time I made it back up to the shower Yang was already awake and starting to get ready so I tried to hurry a little so I didn't make her late. It just feels like it takes me a long time to do _anything_! Showering takes forever, dressing takes forever with this stupid boot thing that I have to take off and put back on, stairs take _sooo_ long because I have to be careful not to slip on _every_ step, and then Dr. Amber still wants me to use at least one crutch at school even though at my checkup yesterday she said that I was recovering very quickly. And I keep making everyone do extra work because I don't have enough time to get everything I need so Yang or Dad need to run up and down the stairs to get things I forget and I feel really bad.

I was nervous about taking the camera Uncle Qrow gave me for Christmas to school because it was so expensive and stuff but Yang and Dad finally convinced me that it would probably be okay. They said no one's going to crowd around the girl with crutches, so as long as I don't drop it nothing bad will happen. And also I really wanted to take pictures with it, especially of Blake and Weiss and maybe Jaune.

I'd forgotten how cold it was in January, so I was really happy that I was wearing the hat Weiss gave me and the sweater Pyrrha and Ren and Nora bought because they were really warm and even though we were driving to school it was still cold in the car. Dad took a weird route to get to school and when I asked him why were driving this way he said he doesn't go through _that_ intersection anymore.

Blake was waiting for us outside of the school and gave me a hug that was kind of awkward because my crutch got in the way and then she and Yang helped me get through the doors and when we passed the main office Ms. Goodwitch told us to wait for a second. I thought that maybe there was some form or process or something I had to go through but instead she went into Dr. Ozpin's office and they both came out and said they were happy I was back at school and then Dr. Ozpin gave me a key to the elevator. He said he knew I was going to give my friends rides, but to try and keep it to a minimum.

After the bell rang and Yang had to go to class Blake helped me hobble to Oobleck's class. We were the last ones to get there, and I could tell everyone was watching us. I kind of expected that, but I didn't realize it would be so _intense_. It was like I was a new exhibit at the zoo. I tried not to think about it and just focused on getting ready to take notes.

Oobleck zipped in, saw me, said "Ah, good! Ms. Rose, you're back. Welcome. On to the lesson!" and then he started like normal and I was totally lost because the last thing I remember we were talking about in class was the unification of Italy and now we're talking about the Khmer Rouge. Blake tried to help me by whispering to me about people and places that were important and she let me look at her notes but sometimes Oobleck would tell her to be quiet and pay attention. After class we talked about when a good time would be to catch me up on all the notes.

I don't know what was _supposed_ to happen in English class, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to be a party for me. Apparently Jaune told Mr. Port that I was coming back to school today and the class decided to have a party. There were cookies and sodas and candy and breakfast foods and stuff and we watched a movie and Mr. Port was wearing a party hat and got cream cheese in his mustache. I made sure to thank him for giving Jaune the idea for the pen and he said he was very happy to have one of his star pupils back in class. I asked to take his picture and he made a really funny pose. I'm going to submit it to the yearbook just for fun.

A lot of people in my class came over to ask me about the accident and the hospital and stuff, so it got kind of crowded by my desk. Some of them came up with the wildest theories about what happened – they thought that I'd been mugged, that it was a stalker who hit me, that I'd jumped in front of the car, and one person had seriously thought I'd died. I was like "Nope, just the wrong place at the wrong time!" Some of them seemed disappointed by that. Rumors and gossip are weird.

I'm pretty sure my math teacher didn't even notice I was gone, because we just started immediately on the next thing and Yang kept getting yelled at when she tried to help me understand all the formulas I didn't recognize. I'm so out of practice, and we have a test next week! I'll have to ask if I can take it another time or have an extension, but I don't think I'll get it. She's kind of a mean teacher :(

Weiss met me outside of our class and helped me get into my seat. Crutches are awful, even when it's just one! But they do let me use the elevator, which is fun, so I guess it balances out. Sun and Blake came over to talk with us before class started and filled me in on what we were doing today. It was a really fun lab about sound waves so we each got these tiny speaker-like things and a bunch of sand and the sand would spread out into a new pattern when the speaker was tuned to different frequencies. Really cool!

Blake and I were late to lunch because she came with me when I used the elevator and it's far from both my class and the cafeteria and it's also _slow_ even though it only has to move between three floors and no one else is using it that I know of besides teachers moving around carts of stuff so the line to get food was really long and by the time we sat with everyone else the period was almost half over! It felt really good to be back with everyone though, it was almost like everything was back to normal.

Weiss and Blake waited with Yang and I after school for Dad to pick us up and we talked about Weiss' concert next weekend and made plans to get food with her after and then Dad showed up. We asked Blake and Weiss if they wanted rides home but they both said they were okay. I wanted to be sure, because it felt really cold out but they said it was fine. Dad dropped Yang off at her job and it was the first time I'd seen where she worked. It was a really big black building with lights all over it and a bunch of big guys were smoking by the front doors and I was like "Dad, is it really okay for Yang to work there?" and he said "If she thinks she can handle it, she probably can." We stayed until she walked through the doors and I think I saw the big guys shy away from her when she passed them. She hasn't complained about anything recently, so I guess everything is okay.

When we got home Dad helped me back onto the couch and I tried to do some homework for a couple hours. The history and math stuff was really hard, so I called Blake and she helped me work through a lot of it. She asked how my first day back went and I said that it was fun but also exhausting. I haven't walked this much in a long time, and now both my legs _and_ arms get a workout. She asked if it would make me feel better if she came over and I was like "Yes right now please!" so she said she'd be there for dinner.

Yang got home around seven and said "Why am I not surprised Blake's here?" and we laughed and then all of us ate. Blake said she had to leave right after though because her parents wanted her home before nine so I kissed her goodbye and promised to text her later.

I did the dishes even though Dad said I didn't have to and tried to do them for me but it felt good to feel like I was helping. I've just been lounging on the couch watching TV and doing nothing for the last couple of weeks and I'm tired of making everyone do stuff for me. It's getting kind of annoying, really. I can't open doors for myself because people do it for me, Dad won't let me walk to school or take Zwei out even though Dr. Amber said it would probably be okay, and everyone's always asking me if I need help with stuff. It's like, no, I can do it so just let me do it. I wasn't always 'broken', I know how to do things. I can't wait to ditch the crutch and the boot so I'll be treated normally again.

Today was supposed to just be a test to see how I felt about going back to school, and I think it went well. I'll probably go back tomorrow. It was nice to have something to do other than sit around and watch TV, but the amount of work I have to do to catch up is really daunting. I'll have to ask Blake and Weiss for help, and probably Yang too but I don't know how much she can actually help me with math.

Bed time!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - There's a giant band of brown in my hair since it's been growing for like a month without getting redyed so I guess I have to go back and have it done again. I texted Blake about it and she said she'd take me this weekend :)

I'll probably get it cut too because getting hair in my mouth all the time is super annoying!

...

P.P.S. - I'll have to wear something other than my lucky boots when I go on my date with Blake! Everything is going to go horribly wrong! Woe is me :(

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	40. January 24th

**Sorry it's late. The first version was a pile of shit so I had to rewrite it.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Sunday, January 24th.

I wanted to wake up early today because today was the day when Blake was going to take me to the mall to let me get my hair redone and stuff so I set my alarm for 9:30 because she said she was going to come get me at 11 and I wanted to be sure I was ready so I didn't make her wait. Normally that would have meant getting up at something like 10:30 so all I had to do was shower but with this stupid boot on my foot and my crutches and everything I have to allocate a bunch more time for everything.

Yang passed me on the stairs as I was going down so I said bye to her and wished her luck at her job today! She hasn't complained about it recently, besides the usual "I'm so tired!" and stuff, so I guess things are going well. Dad and I ate breakfast together – he made me some eggs and toast while I let Zwei out to pee – and then when we were done he helped me with my morning PT. After that I showered quickly and got dressed because I was starting to run out of time before Blake was supposed to arrive. I chose some black leggings and my red skirt which is kind of weird for winter I guess but I wore a long-sleeve shirt over it and then on top of that I also added the red sweater I got for Christmas which is super warm and I had a black scarf too in case it was windy. I couldn't decide if I should just wear one of my lucky boots or just a normal shoe, because I wanted the extra luck from my boots but if I'm only wearing one I feel like there will be some weird cosmic disturbance that will give me _bad_ luck, so I went with the shoe. The only bad thing about the shoe (besides the lack of luckiness) is that it's a lot shorter than the stupid medical boot on my left foot so it makes me walk even funnier.

Blake texted me that she was outside while I was still putting my shoes on so I had to hurry to the stairs and when I was halfway down Dad let her in so she was waiting for me at the bottom and I jumped the last two steps so I could give her one of my patented falling hugs (that Dad hates!) but instead of laughing or hugging me back or anything she just kind of gasped and looked really scared and said "Ruby! You shouldn't do that! What if you hurt yourself again?!" and I said "Relax, Blake, I knew you'd catch me!" and gave her a big smile but she still looked kind of annoyed with me and concerned at the same time. Dad was _very_ annoyed by my flying leap, and told me that if he caught me doing that again before I was fully recovered he'd stop buying me cookies!

Then Blake helped me get my crutches from the closet (Dr. Amber said I don't need to use them in the house, wish she'd told me that earlier!) and then I leaned on her shoulder and hopped along next to her until we got to her car. She helped me sit down and put my crutches in the back and then got in and started the car and I waved goodbye to Dad when we drove away. On the way to the mall Blake and I talked a lot about school and we sang along to the songs on the radio and I asked her how the college search was going and she said she had her eyes on a few that she liked. We got to the mall pretty fast but the parking lot was really full (because it was a Sunday I guess) so it took us a while to find a parking spot and then Blake, being the amazing girlfriend she is, helped me get out of the car and held me up while I got my crutches in position and then held the doors to the mall open for me so I could go through.

Blake asked if I wanted to go get my hair done first, but I said that I'd rather walk around with her a little, and that seemed to make her happy, so we explored the mall a little. It had been a long time since the last time I was there, so it was pretty interesting to see how the stores had changed. A lot of the summer stores were gone and there was a store completely dedicated to skiing stuff but they were already holding a clearance sale. Luckily my favorite shop was still there: the candy store! Sometimes it goes away in the winter but it almost always comes back in the summer. I took Blake inside and bought her some samples of my favorite candy and the cashier was really nice and gave us a free pair of lollipops to share.

Then when we were walking along and making fun of some way-too-skinny mannequins I looked across the mall and saw Dew Gayl working in the back of one of the stores. Blake said we shouldn't bother her but I wanted to say hi because she and Yang are both on the field hockey team. Dew was pretty surprised to see us there but also happy because she said that even though she'd been there since eight we were her first customers of the day. She said she was really sorry to hear about my accident but I told her "Thanks! I'm doing fine!" and then I asked her if she knew Blake and Dew said that she remembered her from Pyrrha's party and then she said "Hey, you're friends with Sun Wukong right?" and Blake was like "Yeah, why?" and Dew looked really angry and said "Have him tell Neptune that he's an asshole." That kind of killed the friendly mood we had going on so we promised we'd be sure to tell Neptune he's an asshole and then we wished her good luck and left.

We walked by the hair salon and Blake said that she was feeling hungry so I suggested that she go get us some lunch while I get my hair redyed. She said "Okay, I'll meet you in the food court" and kissed me on the forehead and left. I went into the salon and said that I needed a haircut and my highlights done again and the lady working there said "Sure!" and took me to the back and set my crutches on the floor and put on the cape and stuff and then cut my hair. She seemed kind of nervous about my left side because she avoided touching it as much as possible, but it didn't really bother me. When she was done cutting she asked me if I liked it and I thought it looked _so_ much better than before, and a lot like how I had it before the accident, so then she started on the dye. She was really careful about my left side again, but still dyed it. Since there wasn't much hair there, it was kind of just _all_ red instead of highlights, but it'll grow out nicely (or so she told me). When I was paying she said not to wear anything on my head for at least a day unless I wanted it to get stained pink forever, so I took off my scarf and tied it around my crutch so I didn't lose it.

When I finally left the salon it had been over half an hour since I went in so I felt bad that I'd made Blake wait that long so I hurried as fast as I could with my stupid crutches to the elevator, which is on the opposite side of the mall from the food court for some reason, and then rushed to find Blake. She was sitting in the back corner reading a book (of course) so I sneaked up behind her and gave her a hug but she said "Nice try Ruby, but you make a ton of noise when you try to walk anywhere." and then kissed me on the cheek. She'd gotten us some pizza from the Italian restaurant and there was also a brown paper bag there but she said that was for the drive home so I was kind of suspicious of what it was, but the pizza was so delicious I completely forgot about it. Blake said my haircut looked really good!

We were walking by one of those gimmick stores and I wanted to go in to see if there was some kind of gag gift I could get Yang or Dad (they love those things) and there was a whole bunch of silly stuff in there so Blake and I took pictures of ourselves wearing some goofy hats and these masks that make it look like you're wearing a lot of makeup and I sent one to Weiss and she texted me back saying I looked silly. When we tried to leave though one of the employees stopped us and said we had to buy one of the hats because I got red dye all over it. Oops! Blake bought it for me, and wouldn't let me pay her back. I was more careful about what my head touched after that; I felt really bad for making Blake buy that hat because I was careless. Blake kept saying it was okay because I looked super cute in it and every time I complained she'd kiss me on the cheek.

We'd almost made it out the door when I saw one of those sets of massage chairs that they set up in the mall so I made Blake come with me to get a massage. It felt really weird at first, and then it tried to massage my arm and it hurt really bad so I had to get up before it started trying to massage my leg. I got to get a video of Blake getting a massage (she'd never had one before) and she kept making a really funny face so it was worth it.

After that I finally let Blake convince me it was time to go home and then once we were in the car and we started to leave I asked her if she had fun and she said "Yeah, but I didn't like how some people were looking at us..." and I was like "What?" because I didn't notice anyone doing anything weird and Blake said "Yeah, I just saw a lot of people giving us some funny looks." and I just sighed and said "Blake, they were probably just looking at _me_ , not _us_. I've been getting it a lot since I got my crutches. People just like to look and wonder what happened." and Blake seemed to relax a bit. She said "Well I think you look beautiful, crutches and all!" and kissed me again and then gave me the bag that I forgot about.

There were a whole bunch of big chocolates inside! I was like "Where'd you get these from, Blake?" and she said they were from the really expensive confection store on the second floor. She'd gone around the mall and bought a bunch of candy while she was waiting for me to get my hair fixed. She wanted me to have them all, but I insisted she have at least _one_ , just to see how good they really were.

When we got home Blake helped me walk up to the front door and since I make so much noise going up the steps Zwei started barking. I asked Blake if she was going to stay for dinner but she said she had to help her parents with some stuff at her house so she couldn't. I gave her a hug before she left and...

…I think she grabbed my butt. It felt like there was just an extra-quick squeeze down there during our hug, but I wasn't really sure if it was actually her or something like the wind and I didn't want to stop hugging her so I ignored it. Then she kissed me and right after Dad opened the door to see what Zwei was barking at so we stopped because it's kind of embarrassing getting caught making out and then we said bye to Blake and I waved from the porch until I couldn't see her car anymore.

Dad said he was going to take Zwei for a walk so I had to be careful not to hurt myself while he was gone so I just went up to my room and texted Weiss about how I thought Blake grabbed my butt. Weiss asked if I had liked it and I said "Yes and no. It was kind of surprising." and Weiss said I should probably talk to Blake about it. I don't think it's really all that big of a deal, but Weiss is probably right. I'm not entirely sure how to approach it though. I called Blake but she didn't pick up, so I decided to leave it for later.

Yang came home from work and she and Dad made some french toast for dinner and we all ate in front of the TV. It was pretty crowded on the couch and Yang spilled syrup on the floor but Zwei cleaned it all up. I did the dishes and then Yang and I had some ice cream before it was time for bed. I wanted to tell her about the whole butt-squeezing situation but I'm not sure how she'd take it – she's weird about touching and stuff, even though Blake's my girlfriend.

Blake hasn't called me back yet so I guess she's still busy.

Back to school tomorrow!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I just don't know how to feel about it. I like Blake, and I like knowing Blake likes me, but that kind of stuff is just...

It's just kind of too soon, I think. It's different from kisses and hugs and holding hands and stuff. Maybe she didn't actually do it. We'll see what happens.

...

P.P.S. - None of the cars in my dreams have brakes. They slow down but never stop. I couldn't sleep so I read some more of the book Blake gave me. I'm going to be so tired tomorrow.

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	41. January 25th

**Late again. Surprise!**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Monday, January 25th.

I keep waking up just before my alarm goes off and it's really annoying me because there's never enough time to bother with trying to get back to sleep, but it's so boring just laying there and watching the clock waiting for my alarm to go off. I guess I could get up early, but that never seems to make sense to my barely awake brain so I usually just lie there with my eyes closed until I hear my alarm. It didn't help that I stayed up late last night reading and also that I have to get up _earlier_ than what I'm used to because it takes me so long to do my morning routine. Hopefully that won't be for much longer – I've got a checkup appointment with Dr. Amber soon to see if I still need my boot/crutches. I can't wait to get them off! They'd better be gone before the dance!

We were out of cereal this morning so I had to scrounge out a bagel and some cream cheese but that tasted pretty weird with orange juice. I made one for Yang too because I had time (it doesn't take as long to eat a bagel as it does cereal!) and then managed to get upstairs without anyone trying to help me and took my shower and got dressed. I forgot that I had my hair redyed so I was a little surprised when I looked in the mirror. It looks just as good as the first time, but the length difference between my left and right side is still a little weird. No one has said anything about it to me, but I'm sure they think I look funny. That's one of the downsides of going back to school, I guess. I never had to worry about what I looked like when I was in the hospital. That's not to say I _didn't_ , but it's different when it's nurses and doctors looking at you and when it's all your friends and classmates.

For my third day of school since the accident, I thought it went pretty well! Dad dropped us off right by the front door and Blake was there waiting for us again so we walked with her until the bell rang and Yang had to go to her class. Blake and I walked to History together but we couldn't hold hands because of my crutches :(

I'm starting to get the hang of notes again – my hand feels back to normal and my handwriting is getting better and better – but I still can't keep up with the sheer volume of things I need to write down in Oobleck's class! Thank goodness Blake is still willing to help me; I must seem like such a burden sometimes. Not just to her, either – Dad has to drive me to school and pick me up, Yang has to help me with some of my PT, Weiss has to tell me how to do all the science work, and Blake needs to give me her notes. I just want things to go back to how they were in December. When class let out Blake asked if I wanted to get all the notes I missed after school, and of course I said "Yes"! More time with Blake is always a good thing!

When I was getting myself to English I realized I forgot to ask Blake why she never called me back yesterday, and also to ask if she touched my butt. She didn't mention it either, and she also didn't touch me again so I thought that maybe it _was_ just my imagination. If I could overcome my extreme awkwardness to the point where I felt brave enough to touch Blake's _magnificent_ butt I'd do it as often as I could unless it annoyed her. Seriously, she's so pretty and really hot and wears such cute clothes all the time I keep catching myself staring at her when she walks in front of me to open the door for me and stuff. I don't think she's caught me yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I wonder if she'd like it if I squeezed her butt?

Anyway, in English we started a new book – _The Odyssey –_ so I'm glad I'm going to be able to keep up with things in at least one class. Mr. Port said I could have the entire rest of the school year to make up all the work I missed. He's the best! Also the book seems really cool, I can't wait to read it! Jaune said he's read it before and said that it's really exciting, as long as you can decipher the epic poetry style.

The only really sort-of-bad thing that happened today was that my math teacher yelled at me because I kept asking how to do the problems. I wouldn't ask so much if she'd let Yang help me do the work, but she got tired of telling Yang to be quiet on Friday so she ended up splitting us up :(

Weiss' concert is this weekend and she's already nervous about it. As soon as I sat next to her in Science today she turned to me and grabbed me by the collar and said "Ruby, what if I mess up a note?!" and I tried to comfort her by saying "You keep going and try not to think about it." but that didn't seem to do anything because she looked like she was going to cry and said "If I mess up I'm done! My singing career will be over, my parents will disown me, and all my friends will abandon me and talk behind my back!" and I was like "Weiss, I'm pretty sure I'm your only friend and I won't abandon you no matter what." She gasped and gave me a big hug and said I was the best friend in the whole world. I think she's a little too worried about this thing. As soon as the teacher came in though she was completely serious again and focused all her attention on the lab we had to do and telling me how to do all the calculations and by the end of class I think I was getting the hang of it. We were the first group to turn in the lab (Blake and Sun were second). I was planning on talking to Weiss about the butt situation but since Blake and Sun finished right after us we all sat and talked to each other until the end of class and I didn't get the chance. I don't want to call her outside of school either because she's so stressed about her singing and she's said that she spent all her time this past weekend practicing. I'd hate to make her even _more_ nervous, and especially for something that might not even be a real problem.

It was french fry day at school today so all of us got fries and we ended up having our own miniature food fight by throwing fries at each other. It started as an amicable contest between friends – Yang tried to throw more french fries into Pyrrha's mouth than I could into Blake's – but once Yang missed and hit Nora it got a lot more serious. We all agreed to a ceasefire when Ren started dipping the fries in ketchup. Also, I totally got more fries into Blake's mouth.

After school Yang and I met up with Blake in front of the school and Blake asked Yang if she wanted to come with us to Blake's house but Yang said that she had to get to work. She said that it was another day when she shared a shift with Neo and she wanted to get there early so she got the good sections. I guess she's still having work troubles, she's just not complaining about them. I almost forgot to tell Dad that I was going to Blake's house to study and then when I called him he asked if we were planning on walking because he didn't want me to walk too much with my boot but Blake said she drove to school that day so Dad said he was okay with it as long as I was home in time for dinner.

Blake's house was really neat! And not like 'cool' neat (although it was that too) but like 'tidy' neat. At my house there's always something laying around that's Yang's because she never picks up after herself and Dad always forgets where he put his coffee cup so I can usually find one or two of those sitting somewhere they're not supposed to and of course Zwei sheds on top of everything so the house is _covered_ in dog hair (and Yang's hair, now that I think about it) so it was really refreshing to see a clean house. I asked Blake if her parents were home but she said that they both worked until late.

We went up to Blake's room, which was on the second floor so I needed some help with the stairs (stupid crutches and boot!) and then she told me to wait for a second so she could make sure that it was clean before she let me in. She was only gone for a couple of minutes and then she said it was all clear and I could come in. I get the feeling, I always make sure to clean my room when I know Blake is going to come over – it'd be so embarrassing for her to see my messy room! Anyway, Blake had a really cool room! She had college flags pinned to the wall and like three separate bookcases that were all filled with books and her desk was in the corner with a laptop and she had a couple movie posters on the walls and her bed was _huge_! I was happy to see that she also had the picture I gave her for Christmas on her desk – it made me feel all fuzzy inside :)

Blake made sure I was settled on her bed and then went to get us some snacks while I unpacked my notes and put my crutches in the corner so they were out of the way. She came back with cookies and some soda and we relaxed and ate for a bit before starting to study. I had to try and leave some cookies for her, even though she told me I could have all of them if I wanted. She's so nice! But I didn't want to be rude so I restrained myself.

We probably only studied for about forty-five minutes before we got distracted. Blake was reading out her notes for me to copy (so much slower than Oobleck) and when she wasn't looking I took out my marker and the next time she looked up I poked it against her nose. She was really surprised and jerked back too fast so she fell off the bed. I was laughing too hard to see her climb back up and the next thing I knew she'd tackled me and was tickling me all over and I couldn't breathe because I was laughing so much. It was a lot of fun until she moved wrong and wound up sitting on my leg and it really hurt.

That kind of ruined the mood and Blake apologized a bunch and was really worried she'd hurt me so I kissed her to make her feel better. And then she kissed me back and then I kissed her back and then she kissed me back and we kept giggling and we lay down on the bed and just stared at the ceiling holding hands. After a bit we'd calmed down and I said "Hey Blake, can I ask you something?" and she said "Go ahead, Ruby" and I asked "Did you grab my butt yesterday?"

Blake sat up and looked at me and she looked a little worried and she said "Is that okay? Did you not like it?"

I said "Well… it just kind of took me by surprise."

Then she said "I'm sorry, Ruby, you just looked so cute in that dress and I'd had such a good time at the mall with you and I thought… I won't do it again!"

I felt bad that she was so worried she'd annoyed me so I said "No, it's okay, just like, warn me next time?"

And Blake smiled at me and said "Well, that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? Where's the fun in that?" and she started crawling towards me and I couldn't help smiling and I'm sure I blushed a bunch. She said "You look so much cuter when you're startled..." and she kissed me on the nose and then we started making out but my phone rang and it was Dad and I looked at the clock and realized we'd spent so much time playing around that it was already dinnertime so I had to go.

We were so late that even Yang was home before us. Blake dropped me off and I said goodbye really quick and hurried into the house. Dad wasn't happy that I was late but when I told him that we were studying he relented a little. I grabbed some cold macaroni and cheese and a muffin and took them upstairs so I could start on my homework but Yang came in and asked me if anything happened while I was at Blake's house. She said she knew that we were alone because she's been to Blake's house before so she was just wondering if we did anything. I said no (because nothing happened) but Yang said that if I was ever uncomfortable about anything I could always tell her.

I don't know why she's so worried, I was with _Blake_. She's my girlfriend, and one of Yang's best friends.

It's been a good day! Time to get back to homework!

XOXOXO :3

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	42. January 31st

**Maybe things will get back on track next week.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Sunday, January 31st.

Things were kind of rough today. Everything was great for the first half, but the second was… less than spectacular. I hope Weiss is feeling okay. She hasn't texted me back yet; it's been almost three hours since I last heard from her, and normally she's _always_ very prompt with her responses. They're also usually very stern and matter-of-fact and stuff but her last few replies were 'Good', 'K', and 'hey'. Maybe I'll surprise her with a midnight call, just like back when we started talking to each other!

Anyway, the beginning of the day was pretty much like any other Sunday. This past week was really hard, since I've been trying to catch up with school and there were a bunch of quizzes and I had a test in math that I _really_ wasn't prepared for so I had to spend all night on Thursday studying with Yang to try and get a grip on the material, so the weekend was a timely blessing. I don't think it would have been as difficult if I wasn't still in my crutches, even though Dr. Amber says they'll be off very soon. She says that every time I visit, but 'soon' never seems to get here. So because I spent all of Saturday trying to catch up by reading the book for English, copying down the notes Blake emailed me for History and Science, and needing both Yang _and_ Dad to help me understand the Math homework, I thought I'd use Sunday to recharge and relax.

I slept in until ten – just didn't feel like getting out of bed – then had breakfast and watched TV and then I let Zwei outside and then I read some of the book Blake gave me then I played some videogames with Yang and then I cleaned my camera and took some candid pictures of Dad napping on the couch and then I tried to get a good picture of Zwei but every time I was about to take one he'd look away or start licking his butt. After that I had lunch and watch some more TV and then I had to shower because Blake, Sun, Pyrrha, and Jaune were coming over before we all went to Weiss' concert.

When I got out there was a message on my phone saying they were all on their way so I got dressed quickly and came down just as their cars pulled up and I had to lock Zwei in Dad's room so he didn't bother everybody. We all played board games and card games for a few hours and then it was time to leave. I rode with Blake and Yang and Sun while Jaune and Pyrrha took Pyrrha's car. Discovered today that Jaune doesn't know how to drive, but Pyrrha said she was going to teach him.

I'm excited for when I finally get my license! It'll make things so much more convenient! I'll be able to go to Blake's house whenever I want, I can go buy gourmet cookies whenever I want, I can take Zwei to the _nice_ park for walks, and I can go shopping anytime I want! I still need to get my learner's permit first though, and then wait six months and take the class and stuff, but _then_ the world is mine!

Anyway, we left a couple hours before the concert was about to start and made some good time – there's like no traffic on weekends – so we got there pretty early and found good parking spots. Our car beat Pyrrha's! They wouldn't let us into the building for another half hour so they made us stand outside in the cold and there was a huge line and I was just standing there with my crutches. When they finally opened the doors and let us in my armpits were sore and my hands were so stiff and frozen from the handholds so Blake offered to hold my hands to warm them up. She's so nice, and her hands were super warm! It was like holding my fingers in front of a fireplace!

Our seats were on the lower tier and roughly in the middle so we had a pretty good view of the stage. The building was filling up quickly so it got crowded and noisy and we all had to shout at each other if we wanted to be heard and at one point we thought it might be easier to just make a group message room and talk _that_ way but that felt so _blech_ that we gave up and went back to shouting. Sun and Jaune went out and bought some snacks for us all to share while we waited. Finally the lights dimmed and the stage lit up and some music played through all the huge speakers that were everywhere and we settled back for the concert!

I keep writing 'concert' because that's what I've always thought of it as, but after watching it I guess it was more of a musical competition. There would be one (sometimes two) singers on stage at a time, and each performance had its own music and then they'd sing. I couldn't see any judges or scorers from our seats so I don't know how they'd tell who won, but the audience reaction was usually a good indicator of who was good and who wasn't. Jaune kept mumbling stuff after every performance so during one break I asked him if he knew anything about singing. He blushed and said "Oh, just this and that..." and explained that one of his _six_ sisters likes to sing. I don't even want to think about what _my_ life would be like if I had six sisters like Yang!

After like twenty people went they announced that Weiss was next and all of us screamed and clapped while she walked across the stage and stood in the center. All the lights dimmed except the spots on her and they turned bright white and she just stood there silently and motionless until the entire place was quiet and then music started playing. I recognized it immediately as the same song she's been listening to on constant repeat for the last three weeks. I'd come in to Science class and she'd be sitting at her desk with her head down and her earbuds in and she'd be mouthing the words, and sometimes she'd even listen to it _through_ class. She let me listen to it once, and I thought it was a really beautiful song.

Weiss had the whole audience captured. She didn't do anything flashy like what some of the other singers did; she just stood there with her hands held in front of her, singing. She was wearing an all-white dress and white boots and had her hair styled nicely and it only took me a couple seconds to see that she was wearing the earrings I gave her for Christmas! I squealed on the inside, because I was too focused on her performance to squeal out loud.

But then I noticed that she didn't look happy. Like, at all. She's told me before that out of all her extracurriculars, singing is her favorite and makes her the happiest, but she didn't look happy. I don't know exactly what it was, but I had this _feeling_ that she was really upset. Maybe it was the way she stood or something in her voice but I knew something was wrong. I leaned over and asked Blake if she thought something was wrong with Weiss but she said she didn't think so. But I _knew_ something wasn't right.

There was a shortish intermission right after the next singer, so I gathered up my crutches and shuffled as fast as I could out of the auditorium. Blake and Yang shouted after me asking where I was going, but I don't know if they heard me say "I need to talk to Weiss!" I thought I saw them start to follow me but I didn't wait for them to catch up. Once I was in the hallway I looked for the waiting area for the singers – it was really hard with all the people crowding around during the intermission, but most of them were nice enough to move out of the way for me. I guess crutches have their upsides.

The waiting room was way in the back and when I tried to go in one of the staff stopped me and said I wasn't allowed in. I told him I was friends with Weiss Schnee and I needed to talk to her but he said that he wasn't allowed to let anyone in the back until after the competition was over. I asked if he could tell her that her friend Ruby was out here and he said he'd ask and then I waited outside the door while he went in. He came back in a couple minutes and said that he couldn't find Ms. Schnee but that he'd pass on my message when he saw her next.

Then Yang and Blake found me and told me that I shouldn't have run off without anyone to help me because what if I fell or tripped or got lost and we went back to our seats. I couldn't really enjoy the rest of the concert because I was so worried about what was bugging Weiss and I kept checking my phone until the people behind me asked me to put it away because it was distracting.

There were some really talented people that competed, but I really couldn't focus. Before I knew it the competition was over and all the singers came out on stage and when I looked at Weiss I knew she'd been crying because the makeup around her eyes was all smudged and it hadn't been when she was singing. They announced the winners (Weiss got third) and then there was a lot of applause and cheering and then everyone started to leave. Since we were low and in the middle and I had my crutches we had to wait until almost everyone else was gone before we could get out of the auditorium. I ran as fast as I could with my stupid boot to the waiting area and the doors were open and they were letting family members in and singers out and stuff so I went in and looked for Weiss.

She was sitting against the wall way in the back with her head on her knees and she was shaking so I went over to her and sat beside her (which takes forever) and put my arm around her and gave her a hug. She kept crying for a while and soon we were the only ones left and the staff started cleaning up so I helped Weiss up – well, _she_ kind of helped _me_ – and then we went out and found the others. They asked what was wrong but Weiss just sniffled and shook her head and we left. The plan had always been to get food after so we all got back into the cars and Weiss came with me and Yang and Blake and Sun and we lead the way to the restaurant. Weiss cried into my shoulder the entire drive.

When we stopped I asked her if she still wanted to get food or if she just wanted to go home but she said she didn't want to interrupt our plans and was a little hungry also so we got out and Pyrrha and Jaune went in first and reserved a table while the rest of us tried to comfort Weiss. Jaune came back out to get us and Weiss managed to stop crying until we got to our table and ordered our drinks. Her tears were gone but she kept sniffling and shaking so I was still worried about her. While we were waiting for appetizers and drinks she finally said that she was so upset because, right before she went on stage, she found out that Neptune had been cheating on her.

She'd gotten a text from his phone that said "This is Nebula Violette. I'm sending this message to every girl's name on Neptune's phone. If you think he's dating you, you should know that he was also dating me and Dew Gayl at the same time. He's a cheating asshole."

That really sucks. Dinner was kind of sour, especially since Sun (Neptune's best friend) was there. It picked up towards the end because we kind of relaxed after eating and I saw Weiss smile and laugh a couple times so I guess we got her mind off of it for a bit at least. The waitress gave her a free dessert to try and make her feel better. We left a big tip for her, she was really nice.

When we were driving home I asked Weiss if she wanted to come over and stay the night, but she said she'd told her parents that she'd be home and they wouldn't want her to be unprepared for school tomorrow.

I really hope she's okay, because that totally sucks. Neptune is such a dick! He ruined something that should have been a really happy moment for Weiss, and that's the worst part. Well, to me. Weiss might think something else is worse, but I think it's that now, whenever she thinks about this competition where she scored pretty high (third is amazing out of all those great singers!) she'll only remember that her boyfriend was cheating on her. Hopefully it'll end up being something we laugh about in a few years.

Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day.

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I'm going to crush him! What a jerk! An asshole! A meanie-face! How dare he! If I ever see him in the hallway, I'm going to shove my crutch into his nuts and _twist_.

...

P.P.S. - Weiss texted me back saying that she didn't feel well enough to go to school tomorrow. I'll take some good notes for her. I hope she feels better :(

...

P.P.P.S. - I was so mad I had to make cookies for Weiss. I don't know when I'm going to give them to her though if she's not going to be at school tomorrow.

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	43. February 3rd

**A difficult topic in this one. Please be mature about it.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Thank you so much for over 400 follows! That's amazing! You're all amazing!**

* * *

Today is Wednesday, February 3rd.

It snowed this morning! I guess technically it started last night but it was still going when I woke up and it looked so great! I took a picture of it from my window and it would have turned out better if the screen wasn't in the way but mostly I was just really excited about more snow! There was enough to delay school by two hours, which was great because I needed to make Weiss more cookies!

She didn't go to school on Monday or Tuesday because she didn't feel very good and then the cookies I made her ended up getting eaten (mostly by me) so I was really happy that I had the time to make her some this morning! Dad was a little unhappy by the delay because it meant that he had to take even more time off of work than usual so he could drive me and Yang to school. Yang just went back to bed when she heard that school was going to open late, and I would have too if I didn't have to make cookies. While they were cooking I took a quick shower and kept the timer in the bathroom with me in case I took longer than I expected – it wouldn't do to burn the second batch of cookies! I'm glad I didn't take too long though, because it would have been really awkward trying to hop down the stairs on one foot and wrapped up in a towel.

When the cookies were done I put them onto a plate and wrapped it up with plastic wrap and then put it into a box and covered them with a washcloth so they'd stay warmer for longer and then I still had like an hour before we had to leave for school so I read some of the book Blake gave me. I'm almost done, and when I finish it I don't know what I'm going to do for entertainment! I'll have to get another one from her! :)

I was the first one in the car when it was time to leave; I couldn't wait to give Weiss my Very-Special 100%-Awesome Chocolate Chip and Two-Cups-of-Sugar Still-Warm-From-The-Oven Best-Ever Trademark Ruby Rose Cookies and cheer her up!

Blake met us outside the front of the school as usual and kissed me hello and then paused and asked me what smelled so good and I had to tell her about the cookies for Weiss. She said that she was really jealous because those were the best cookies in the world. I would have given her one, but since I felt that Weiss needed as much happiness as I could give her I didn't want to diminish the amount of pure sugary, chocolatey heaven by losing some cookies so I promised Blake I'd make her a special batch the next time she came over. She said "I guess I'll have to visit soon and get me some _sweets_ , huh?" and winked at me and oh my gosh my face got so hot I had to stop and get a drink from the water fountain. Yang groaned and said she was going to head to class early.

Nothing all that exciting happened in History class, just more notes about the separation of India from the British Empire. Blake kept passing me notes with hearts and smiley faces on them so I sent her some but mine weren't as pretty as hers. She can draw so well! One time she accidentally dropped her pencil and when she bent over to pick it up I caught a glimpse of her underwear. It was pink. I spent the next five minutes looking out the window and trying to get my mind back on History.

I guess that counts as something exciting that happened during class.

I should take her on another date, but it's so difficult trying to get anywhere with my stupid boot and it's cold outside and I still have to catch up on school and tests are coming up and the dance is coming up soon (February 14th – can't wait!) so maybe I'll just wait until after. She hasn't touched my butt since Monday, and I'm still too scared of doing it wrong to touch her pretty much at all. Blake is always the one who touches first. My favorite is when she hugs me from behind and puts her chin on my shoulder – she's so warm and she gives me a little squeeze and I can smell her hair and sometimes she'll kiss me on the cheek or tickle me. Every time I try to touch her first she hears me coming and dodges my surprise hug.

Mr. Port got distracted by his own story in English class today and spent half the period trying to find a video for us to watch but he's really bad with the computer so he never found it. Jaune and I played paper football and Mr. Port never noticed, even though we sit in the _front row_.

Math is so much less fun now that Yang doesn't sit next to me. I actually find it easier to get distracted. The teacher just keeps talking and talking and talking and I'll get bored or sleepy and start doodling in my notebook and then suddenly the period is over and I have to leave. I've taken less notes than ever and this is the _one_ _class_ where my notes are the most important! And neither I nor Yang have the time to study together because she has work and I have checkups and other stuff to do!

But then finally it was time for Science class and I was going to go see Weiss and give her the cookies I made so I rushed through the hallways as fast as I could and I almost knocked over Ms. Goodwitch and got to class super early. It's pretty funny how fast you can go with crutches once you get the hang of them. Weiss came in looking kind of angry – a lot like how she looked before we were friends! – and sat down next to me and grumbled a greeting and then asked me why I looked so happy and I said "Because of these!" and reached into my backpack and pulled out the cookies and gave them to her and she looked so surprised!

She was like "Are these for..?"

And I was like "Yup! All for you!" and then she was going to try one but the teacher came in and said that there wasn't any eating allowed in the lab because of chemicals and stuff so she couldn't eat any :(

After class she asked me if I wanted to come over to her house and I said "Yes!"

It took us a while to coordinate between my Dad and her mom but eventually we got it down so that Dad would drive us to her house and her mom would drive me back. While Dad was driving he gave Weiss the breakdown of what I _was_ and _was not_ allowed to do because of my boot like how I'm not supposed to go up and down stairs a lot (even though I totally can) and I shouldn't go outside because of the cold and snow and ice and stuff (he's _so_ scared I'll slip or something) and also that I need to be home before 8 so I can have time to do homework before bed. Weiss was like "I'll keep all of that in mind, Mr. Xiao Long!" and she's all about rules and stuff so I knew I wasn't going to be able to get away with too much.

Weiss' house was HUGE! It was two stories high and had a gate and a long driveway and a two-door garage and looked _sooo_ fancy and stuff both Dad and I looked at each other like 'Wow are we transporting a _princess_?'. Weiss got out and very politely thanked Dad for the ride and then lead me up onto the porch (which was huge) and opened the doors (double doors, so fancy) and showed me where I could put my coat and backpack and crutches (in a fancy closet – I didn't even know closets could be fancy) and she apologized for the mess (even though the floor and couches and everything were _immaculate_ ) and then asked if I wanted anything to eat or drink and when I said 'no' she took me up to her room.

Her room was... kind of boring, actually. Everything was white; the bedsheets and comforter, the pillowcase, the walls, the ceiling. She didn't have any posters or decorations on her walls or anything and all she had on her desk was a laptop and a lamp. It felt really bare. She had a lot of bookcases with books and binders with music sheets in them and in her closet she had an armor stand with her fencing stuff on it so it wasn't like she had _no_ decorations, but everything seemed overly tucked away.

It was pretty funny watching Weiss though – as soon as she closed the door behind me she kicked off her shoes and swan dived onto her bed. It was the least 'Weiss' thing I've ever seen her do. She told me to come sit on the bed with her and it was super comfortable and then we talked about school for while and then she went and got some of my cookies for us to share and we watched some videos on her laptop and she said she had something to give me and pulled out a binder full of paper and said these were all the Science notes I'd missed.

After that we talked some more and watched another few videos and then I felt it was the time to ask about Neptune. Weiss' smile disappeared as soon as I mentioned his name but after a little coaxing and another few cookies she started to talk about it. She said that she was really mad at herself that she let it affect her so badly.

She said "It's just that... He was really cute, and charming when he tried to be, and I liked him a lot. And finding out that he didn't care, that I was 'just another girl' to him even though I put a lot of effort into our dates, it really hurt my feelings. And a little part of me thinks that it was partly _my_ fault, that I didn't do _enough_ to keep his attention."

I told her that that was really dumb and it wasn't her fault at all, and that Neptune's just a huge jerk who doesn't respect people's feelings.

Weiss nodded and said, "Yeah, that's pretty much the conclusion I came to yesterday. But it took me a long time to figure out that there was nothing _I_ could have done to stop it. I felt so betrayed..."

I said, "That's because you're a good person, and he's not. You worry about how other people feel, and he doesn't. You think about how to make people happy, and he only thinks about how to make himself happy. You act on your heart, and he acts on his penis."

She gave me a weird look and asked, "Did you come up with all that? Because that's really good, Ruby." and I blushed and admitted that I read it in Blake's book and we both laughed. Then Weiss said, "And thank goodness I didn't have _sex_ with him! Ugh!"

And I was like "What!? Did he seriously ask you for that?! You went on like three dates!"

Weiss said, "He didn't ask, but the question was there. And boys have asked me before. Isn't that one of the reasons why people go out? There has to be _some_ interest like that. Don't you think about having sex with Blake?" and I started to feel really uncomfortable.

I hadn't really thought of that before. Yes, I think Blake is gorgeous and smart and cute and hot and beautiful and kind and sweet and smells good and I love it when she kisses me and holds my hand with hers and talking to her is always the highlight of my day and I think about her all the time but I've never really thought about sex. I guess I always kind of knew that the idea of sex was there, but I was too caught up in trying to have fun with her it was never at the forefront. It was never a _goal_. I like looking at her boobs and her butt and her legs (such beautiful legs) and her eyes and her mouth and her cute little nose but I've never once imagined her naked. It always seemed dirty and rude to me, like I was diminishing everything else that was great about her and just focusing on how pretty her body was.

All I told Weiss though was, "Sort of."

Weiss said, "Well, you love her, don't you? You're always telling me how great she is and you two are such a cute couple, but you don't talk about sex?" I told her about how Blake touched my butt and then when I was at Blake's house how Blake climbed on top of me and stuff and she said, "Well, it seems like at least _Blake_ is thinking about it..."

That's when I said I didn't want to talk about it anymore because it was making me uncomfortable so we did a little bit of homework and then Weiss' mother came home and it was time for me to go.

I'm sure I love Blake!

I think.

If she asked me if I loved her I'd absolutely say I did.

And if I ran up to her and asked "Hey Blake, do you love me?" I _know_ she'd say yes.

But I don't know what I'd do if she asked me if I wanted to have sex.

What if she only wants to have sex with me, like how Neptune probably only wanted to have sex with Weiss? What if _that's_ why she's been touching me so much? Not because it's cute and funny and because we're dating, but because she wants me to have sex with her?

I don't know who to talk to. I can't talk to Yang or Dad or Blake about it, and Weiss didn't really help me.

I have a lot to think about.

It's time for bed.

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - Weiss texted me and said that both her mom and dad _loved_ my cookies and want the recipe. They can't have it! It's a closely guarded Rose Family secret! :P

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 **'The Ladybug Diary' is on hold until I can update 'Blood and Ink'. This could mean no interruption to the schedule, or no chapters for a week. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	44. February 4th

**I lied and updated.**

 **Please try to stay mature about the subject matter.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Thursday, February 4th.

I'm really glad today is over. Nothing all that bad happened, but I just didn't feel like myself today. I was nervous and uncomfortable _all day_ , and distracted and sluggish and I couldn't think very well. I just couldn't stop thinking about what Weiss said yesterday.

Am I weird for not thinking about having sex with my girlfriend? I know from Health class that teenagers are going through a bunch of hormonal and body changes and stuff so we start acting and thinking differently, and that it's perfectly normal to feel weird and confused and unsure about myself, but I keep thinking that I'm not normal for not wanting to have sex. It's not even that I _don't_ want to have sex, more like I don't think about it _all the time_ like some people do. Like, I'm pretty sure Cardin or Neptune think _only_ about sex, and I don't want to be around them or anyone like them.

But what if Blake is thinking about it? What if Blake wants me to have sex with her? What if she _expects_ me to have sex with her?

It was never something I thought about before, but now I can't stop worrying about it. Before, all I thought about was how to make Blake laugh and smile, how to make her happy, and now I'm suspicious of everything she does! Why does she kiss me so much? Why does she hug me so much? Those things don't make me happy anymore, they make me uncomfortable.

I was thinking about it too much this morning and was late to get out of bed and then I was late to breakfast and late to the shower so Yang beat me and I couldn't shower today and then I made Yang and Dad wait longer than usual because I was still getting ready for school. Yang asked me if something was wrong but I told her I was just a little sleepy this morning.

When Blake met us in front of the school I almost didn't want to hug her, but she looked so happy to see me and she's so pretty when she's happy that I couldn't help but smile and give her a big hug and we kissed a little bit.

She was passing me notes again in History and I tried to play along and send her back cute little poems like the ones she was giving me, but I really couldn't focus on anything. I took even less notes than usual, and Blake said I should come over again and copy them from her. I said I would have but I had a checkup after school today so I couldn't. Blake said "Maybe this weekend then? Or I could come over to your house and you could give me those cookies you promised me?" and I just kind of nodded and said "Sure." Blake put a hand on my shoulder and told me to wait and when I turned around she looked worried and asked me if something was wrong. I said "Nah, just sleepy." and she accepted that and gave me a kiss to feel better and then I went to English.

I don't remember a lot of what happened in class. I just doodled a lot in my notebook and that's not really going to help me when I have to study. Jaune asked if something was wrong while we walked to meet Pyrrha but I just told him what I told Yang and Blake and he said "Yeah, you look tired, too. Try to get some more sleep, okay?" and I said I would. He and I talked to Pyrrha for a little bit and then Jaune said that he had to get to his next class early because he wanted to study for a quiz and Pyrrha said she'd walk with him but I asked her if I could talk to her for a second.

She said, "Sure, Ruby!" and we stepped over to the side of the hallway.

I said, "This is kind of an awkward question, Pyrrha, but... have you and Jaune had sex?" and Pyrrha's eyes got really wide and she looked around but nobody was near us.

She said "Ruby! What the hell! We shouldn't be talking about this in the hallway!" but she said it in a kind of loud whisper. After a second she glanced around the hallway again and then leaned down to me and whispered, "But, yes, we've had sex. Why? Did Jaune say something about it to you?"

I said, "No, I just... How did you decide when you were ready? What did you think when he asked you?"

Pyrrha just laughed and shook her head. She said, "Ruby, _he_ didn't ask _me_ , I asked him." and my jaw dropped because I guess I always thought that guys were the ones who asked first. Pyrrha kept going and said, "And I just felt like it was a good time. It was right after a date and I... I wanted to. You know?"

But when I said, "No, I don't know..." Pyrrha was like "Oh..." and then the bell rang and we both had to hustle to get to class. I had the excuse of my boot, but I felt bad for making Pyrrha late to her class.

For once I was happy to be in Math class because it was easy to distract myself with all the problems the teacher gave us. She let us work in pairs and choose our partners so Yang and I worked together. Somehow we managed to finish our work early so the teacher let us leave a little before class ended. She was in an oddly good mood today.

Anyway, that meant that I got to Science before anyone else and had to wait until the bell rang before I could go in. I was getting all my stuff set up when Sun came in and said, "Hey there, Rubes! How's it going?" and I had an idea so I went and sat next to him. I figured that since Sun was Blake's best guy friend (since Yang's her best friend) and since he's known her forever or something that he'd know about how Blake felt. So I asked him, "Hey, Sun, do you think Blake is trying to have sex with me?" and he _freaked_ out and held up his hands and was like "Rubes! We _cannot_ talk about this here. Like, what the fuck are you thinking even saying that out loud in school?" so he gave me his phone number and told me to call him after school.

After that a bunch of our classmates came in and I moved back to my seat. We had a lab today and I feel bad because I was so distracted that I made Weiss do most of the work.

Dad came to pick me up after school because I had to go to the hospital for a checkup on my foot so Yang walked to work today. We had to wait for a long time so I tried to study a little bit but it was boring so I read more of Blake's book. I'm almost done, only another two chapters. Then finally it was our turn and the nurse took me back to get my X-rays and then I had to wait again for Dr. Amber to come in. When she did though she only took a few minutes to look at the X-rays and then spent like fifteen minutes examining my foot and asked me how I felt and I said I felt great and she said that I didn't need the boot anymore! I don't even need crutches or anything!

She said I was free to leave unless I had any questions and I said I did, but that it wasn't related to my foot. She was like "Fire away" and I said "I'm worried about having sex with my-"

And she cut me off and groaned and said "Don't they teach you guys anything in school anymore? Just remember to have him wear a condom, and-"

I cut _her_ off and said, "Girlfriend. I'm gay."

Dr. Amber took a second and then said "Well, that makes my job easier. I don't have to lecture you about condoms, birth control, abortions, that kind of stuff. Just remember to clean before and after and you'll be good!"

Then I got frustrated and shouted "That's not what my problem is!" and Dr. Amber sat down next to me.

She said, "Look, Ruby, thinking about and wanting to have sex is perfectly normal for kids your age. It's a part of puberty. The most important thing is to do it _safely_ and in a way that makes you comfortable. It's your body, and you have the right to say no to anyone. You might feel like you _have_ to have sex to fit in, or to be cool, or to be liked, but you don't. It is up to you when and how you have sex. There's nothing wrong with having sex, and also nothing wrong with _not_ having sex. Don't let your peers or boyfriend – sorry, girlfriend – pressure you into doing something you're not comfortable with. If you're worried about it, you can talk to your dad, your school counselor, or me. We're here to help you. Does that answer your questions?"

I thought it did so I said yes and left. Dad was so happy to see me without my boot on!

After that we went home and I did homework until Yang came home and when she saw me without my boot she started to yell at me about how I'm supposed to keep it on so I could get better faster but then I told her that I didn't need it anymore and she cheered and gave me a big hug and said we should celebrate! I asked her to keep it a secret because I wanted to see how everyone reacted when they saw me fully recovered.

When dinner was over I went to my room and texted Sun to see if it was a good time to talk. He called me back and said that he was ready if I wanted to talk so I asked him again if he thought Blake wanted to have sex with me. He said, "Ruby, of course Blake wants to have sex with you." and I felt a little worried but he kept going and said, "Ruby, Blake really _really_ likes you, okay? She'd text me all the time about how she wanted to ask you out but was too scared, and after you two finally started dating I was really happy because she stopped talking about you during Science and actually started helping me with the labs. She likes you, _a lot_. She thinks you're beautiful and smart and cute and funny and are _smoking_ hot. So don't worry about it. It's not something you're supposed to worry about, it's supposed to be fun. Just relax, Rubes."

And I said, "Thanks, Sun, that's a big help!"

Then he said, "Good. Don't _ever_ mention it."

And since I felt better I said "But I thought guys liked hearing about lesbians?"

Sun was like "Yeah, but not when they're _two of my best friends_! Like, _fuck_ , this is awkward. Just talk to Blake about it if you're so worried, not me." and then he hung up.

Talking to everyone helped a lot; I'm not as worried anymore. I still don't think I'm ready, but at least now I know Blake isn't only focused on having sex with me. I don't know why I was so worried in the first place! The idea is ridiculous!

I can't wait to show everyone my completely healed foot tomorrow!

XOXOXO :3

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 **I'm serious this time. No more 'Ladybug Diary' until 'Blood and Ink' updates.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	45. February 6th

**I made a new cover image! Please tell me what you think, I can always change it back.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

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Today is Saturday, February 6th.

Ugh, this morning was so embarrassing I wanted to run away and hide in the mountains for the rest of my life. I overslept _a lot_ , and it was all Yang's fault!

Yesterday we decided that we'd have a small little celebration for my foot being healed and my full recovery after the accident, so when Yang got home from work at seven she and Dad made french toast and we watched a movie and then Uncle Qrow came over and we played some games just like we used to and Dad still hadn't gotten any better at card games and Uncle Qrow was really good somehow and kept winning and then Dad got mad and said it was time to do something else so we took Zwei for a walk.

I hadn't been allowed to take Zwei for a walk in so long it felt great to get out and walk around the neighborhood again even though it was really cold and I had to pick up his poop. Uncle Qrow and Dad walked behind me and they told stories from when they were in college and I _couldn't help_ but eavesdrop on how Dad used to do wheelies on his bike trying to impress Mom and when Dad told him to stop because it'd give Yang ideas Uncle Qrow whispered to me that he still had the tape and he'd show me sometime. I zoned out when they started talking about taxes and their jobs. Boring! I wish I had gotten to hear more stories about Dad and Mom, and Yang wasn't even listening! She was texting someone the whole time.

Anyway, after we got home Uncle Qrow said he had to leave so we said bye to him and then Dad said he was going to get an early start on sleep but Yang and I stayed up and watched movies and ate a bunch of ice cream. We stayed up really late and the ice cream made it really hard for me to fall asleep so I didn't get to bed until after three in the morning, and I totally forgot that Blake was going to come over today!

She was sitting on my bed when I woke up this morning. I pulled down the covers and yawned and when I opened my eyes Blake was just sitting there, looking at me out of the corner of her eye while she was reading a book, and she said "Good morning, sleepy head," and I felt myself blush so I pulled the covers back over my head and pretended to not exist.

Blake peeled the covers away and kissed me on the forehead and said "Come on, Ruby, it's time to get up. I brought donuts!" and that made me want to get out of bed so I gently escorted her out of my room so I could change and also wipe the drool off my face and try and make my hair look like I didn't just wake up even though she knew I did. When I finally looked at the clock I was really surprised to see that it was already almost noon, because I _never_ sleep in that late!

When I was ready I met Blake in the hallway and we went down to get breakfast/lunch donuts! Blake said that they were from some special bakery and not just from the big chain store so I was really excited to have one! There were only a few left but I still got a chocolate one and then Dad came out and he had half a donut in his mouth and he said "Morning Ruby! Blake brought donuts!" and I was like "I know Dad, I'm picking one out right now" and he said "You should bring Blake over more often!" and Blake and I laughed.

We ate in front of the TV and I was telling her about yesterday when Yang came over and handed me her phone and said "Look what Blake sent me!" and it was a picture of me sleeping and my tongue was hanging out of my mouth and I was like "Blake why" and Blake giggled and told me "You just looked really cute! And also you were snoring, so I couldn't resist!"

I can't believe she took such an embarrassing picture of me! Yang had better not send it to anyone!

After that I was going to take Zwei for another walk but I remembered that Blake was allergic to dogs so I didn't want her to feel bad so instead I asked if she wanted to walk over to the convenience store and get some candy and she said yes so we got dressed and left. It was really fun, and we held hands and there was still some snow left over from Wednesday so we threw snowballs at each other, but then we got to the bottom of the hill where I had my accident. I hadn't been there since December since Dad always drove us a different way, and I felt really weird. Blake asked if I was okay and after I said I was she asked if I wanted to go back home. I said "No, I want to go to the store with you, we just need to cross this street."

It took a long time before I felt I was ready. Blake held my hand the entire time and we looked both ways like eight different times even though there was never a car once. There was still red in the street, even after all the time and the storms and everything. When we got to the other side and had to sit down and take deep breaths. I thought I was going to throw up, but I didn't. Blake sat with me and rubbed my back and gave me hugs until I said I was ready to keep going and as soon as the intersection was out of sight I felt a lot better.

We bought a lot of candy at the store and ate most of it on the way back. I saved some of mine (even though I really wanted to eat it!) so I could put it in the cookies I was going to make. I wasn't as afraid of the intersection on the way back, but we still walked really slow and checked the street a bunch. When we got home Yang made us hot chocolate and the three of us talked about school until Blake and I were warmed up and then we started on the cookies!

I'm super protective of the recipe to my Very-Special 100%-Awesome Chocolate Chip and Two-Cups-of-Sugar Still-Warm-From-The-Oven Best-Ever Trademark Ruby Rose Cookies (it was Mom's) so I just made some regular cookies but still tried really hard to make them good and I added some chunks of the candy I bought at the store. While they were cooking Blake and I ate the leftover dough together in my room while we looked at pictures of cats on my laptop. I also showed her a bunch of the pictures I've taken, and she said I was a really good photographer and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

I did that silly, goofy wiggle thing I do when people compliment me and then Blake started tickling me and wouldn't stop and I couldn't stop laughing and I tried to get away and fell on the bed and Blake kept tickling me and I was trying to swat her away and my hand touched her boob. We both froze and Blake was staring at me and I came to my senses and quickly took my hand away and said I was super sorry but when I was apologizing Blake kissed me and her hair fell on my face so I brushed it out of the way and then her hand was on the side of my head and I could feel her pulse and it was fast and my mind felt like it was on fire.

I kept thinking "What is happening?" over and over and I couldn't think about anything else and then Blake pulled back and was like "Hey. It's okay." and then she kissed me again.

I don't know what would have happened if the timer hadn't gone off.

I was like "Blake, we need to go get the cookies" and got off the bed and went downstairs to pull the cookies out of the oven. Yang was texting on the couch and asked me if everything was okay because she heard some funny noises and I was like "Yup! Everything's great!" even though my stomach felt all bunched up and my head felt hot and my mouth felt dry.

The cookies came out perfect! They were super gooey on the inside and had a little bit of crunch on the edges and the candy pieces I added were really tasty. I put a bunch in a box for Blake to take home.

When Blake came down we ate cookies and studied together, and when that was done she went home because she said her family was doing something tonight.

We texted later and she said her parents loved the cookies and that she couldn't wait to take me somewhere special on our next date! I hope she doesn't mean next weekend, because that's when the dance is! I've had the tickets taped to my wall since Sun gave them to me! I can't wait! Weiss and I are picking out a dress tomorrow, and my shoes are wrapped up in a box under my bed and I'm going to wear Mom's earrings and the necklace Dad gave me and I'm really excited!

That's all for today!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I hope Blake wasn't disappointed or anything. Or mad. I hope she knows that I like kissing her and spending time with her and that I think she's beautiful and she's the best person ever.

...

P.P.S. - Today would have been a good day to talk to her about all that stuff. Darn. I got too caught up in having fun :(

...

P.P.P.S. - I ate too much candy today. My stomach hurts :(

...

P.P.P.P.S. - Pyrrha just texted me saying "Nice pajamas". I'm going to kill Yang.

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 **Updates may be sporadic. I apologize for the inconvenience.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	46. February 14th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This chapter's contents require a **mature attitude**._ ** _  
_**

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Today is Sunday, February 14th.

I guess technically it's Monday, February 15th, since it's after midnight (it's actually almost the morning) but I want to write about Sunday. It was a peculiar day, and I don't know how to feel. I just don't know.

The morning was bright and full of energy, even though it was cold. The sun was out, there were no clouds, and the wind was slow. I woke up early, if I even really slept the night before – I was too excited to start the day!

Today was the day of the dance, the day I finally got to dance with Blake after waiting since January, and even since before my accident, and it had been the only thing on my mind all week! I couldn't wait, and while I was lying in bed I kept glancing at the clock to see if it was time to get up and get going! I woke up at seven and took Zwei for a walk in the freezing morning air, but I was warm from the anticipation (and my boots and scarf and hat) so I hardly noticed that we took longer than usual to get around the block. When we got home I had cereal for breakfast and a banana and watched TV while I ate with the volume turned down so I didn't bug Dad or Yang and Zwei hopped up on the couch with me and we watched some silly cartoons.

Dad got up around eight thirty and said he wasn't surprised to see me up already, and since he looked tired and I was anything but I offered to make him breakfast so he got to read the Sunday comics while I made him some coffee and eggs and sausage. Yang came downstairs right when I was finished and helped herself and asked if I was excited for the dance.

I guess I'm a little easy to read :)

It was probably pretty obvious since the dance is like the only thing I've talked about for the last week and I've tried on my dress three times already to make sure it still fit even though I bought it last Sunday with Weiss and I've spent hours practicing my 'dancing' in my shoes (I hate heels, but they look really good!) so that I'm not as bad as I was before. I wanted everything to go perfectly.

Then Yang and Dad started talking about motorcycles because I guess Yang decided she has enough money to buy one now and since I don't know anything about motorcycles I left and went to my room. I didn't know what to do with myself because I was so full of energy but it was too early to get ready for the dance because what if something happened to my dress while I was wearing it or if my makeup got smudged or if I lost an earring (I'd die, seriously) so for about five minutes I just sat on my bed and tried to calm down but I couldn't because I just kept thinking about Blake and how pretty she is and how we were going to dance and stuff so I _had_ to do something with myself or I'd go crazy so I started doing homework because there was nothing else to do.

I got stuck on a really hard Science question so I texted Weiss for help and she called me back and we worked through it. I've never been good at hydrodynamics, but Weiss is so smart and good at stuff and the way she explained it was really helpful so I promised I'd make her more cookies as thanks. She said her parents would be really happy to hear that and then she asked if I was ready for the dance and I said "Yup! I have my dress clean and pressed and ready and my shoes are ready and I have my makeup all planned out and I polished my earrings and necklace yesterday and I washed my stockings on Friday so I'm all good!"

And then Weiss said, "Great! Did you get her the flowers?"

I was like "What flowers?" and I heard Weiss groan.

She said "Ruby! We talked about this last week and you said you'd do it! You have to get girls flowers when you take them to dances!"

I was confused so I said, "But Blake is taking _me_ , so shouldn't she get me flowers?"

I could tell Weiss was really frustrated with me because she practically screamed through the phone that it didn't matter who was taking who since we're _both_ girls. She said, "Just because you're a lesbian doesn't mean that the etiquette of romance changes! Girls. Get. Flowers! Go buy her some flowers, you dolt!"

So I ran downstairs and asked Yang to take me over to the florist and she was like "Okay!" so we drove over really quick and when we got there I called Weiss again so she could give me tips on what flowers to get Blake. I told her that Blake's favorite flowers are black irises but Weiss said that I couldn't get her _black_ flowers for a dance, and I should try for red. They didn't have any red irises (sold out because of Valentine's Day and stuff) but I found some pink ones that the florist put into a bouquet with some yellow tulips and I think it turned out beautiful and even Yang said it looked really good.

When we got home it was after two and Blake was supposed to pick me up at five so I had a late lunch and then spent the next two hours alternating between freaking out and calming myself down. I kept pacing across my room and glancing at my dress and Yang came in and sat on my bed and told me to calm down and I couldn't understand how _she_ couldn't understand how serious of an issue it was that I might maybe potentially possibly step on Blake's toes while we danced and then everything would be ruined and she'd break up with me and I'd be sad forever! Yang kept laughing at me and telling me that everything was going to be okay and that I should calm down.

Then I didn't have time to worry anymore because I had to get ready so Blake didn't have to wait for me when she came to pick me up. I took a shower and then got into my dress (with Yang's help) and spent like twenty minutes on my hair and then did my makeup and then put in my earrings and had Yang help me with my necklace and then I put on my stockings and my shoes. I was really happy that the scars on my leg from the surgeries were hidden by my stockings – I was worried about them looking ugly, and I wanted to be really pretty for the dance.

There were still ten minutes before Blake was supposed to arrive and she hadn't texted me that she was coming yet so I decided to have another freak-out session in front of the mirror but luckily I didn't smear my makeup and Zwei didn't shed on my dress.

I heard the doorbell ring and knew it was Blake and got really excited but also intensely nervous because what if I didn't look as good as I thought or if she didn't like the flowers or what if Blake looked so pretty I fainted? I ran to the door and then got scared of opening it so I ran away and made Yang open it while I got the flowers from the kitchen. I listened to them talking and Blake kept asking Yang where I was and Yang was like "She's really nervous about the dance, give her a minute." and then I felt bad because I thought maybe Blake was worried I didn't want to go to the dance with her anymore which totally wasn't true so I stepped out of the kitchen but I was blushing super hard so I hid my face behind the flowers while I walked up to Blake. I stopped when I bumped into her (oops!) and then shoved the flowers into her hands and I heard her giggle so I finally looked up and WOW.

She was SO pretty, I felt my jaw go slack. She had the most beautiful purple dress on and a black necklace and belt and she had the same bow in her hair that she wore the first day of school when I first saw her and I just felt everything I was worried about wash away and I couldn't stop smiling and I _definitely_ couldn't stop staring at her. She blushed and smiled at me and said "What?" and I said "Ohmygosh Blake, you look SO AMAZING!" and she laughed and did that cute thing she does where she hides her mouth behind her hand and her face was so red and I felt really warm and happy inside that I'd made her happy. She said thanks for the flowers and asked if I was ready to go but before I could say yes Dad came out from his bedroom and said we couldn't leave until he took some pictures of us.

I was really embarrassed and just wanted to go to the dance but Dad and Yang insisted and Blake said she wanted pictures too so I had to give in and I went and got my camera (and picked up the tickets too, good thing I remembered!) and showed Dad how to use it and then we took pictures. Blake and I stood really close together and held hands and I could feel how warm and soft her hands were and I could tell her heart was beating really fast and I could smell her perfume and I hoped that she felt the same things from me so she knew I felt the same as she did.

When we were done taking pictures Blake and I put on our coats and went to her car and went to dinner since the dance didn't start until seven and we agreed we'd eat first. Blake took me to a really nice restaurant and we talked about school and our families and a whole bunch of stuff. She told me about how she had to stand in the cold during the football game so she could write a report for her Journalism class and I told her about the time when Dad took us all camping and dropped his phone in the lake. The food was good and Blake seemed really happy and I was really happy that Blake was happy and I felt so lucky to be able to share a dinner with such a beautiful, friendly girl like her, and then Blake paid for the food even though I tried to and then we headed to the dance.

The building the dance was in was in the middle of the city and it took us longer than we expected to get there because there was a lot of traffic (Valentine's Day stuff I guessed) and then we had to find parking and we were like two blocks away from the dance when we finally found a spot so we had to walk in the freezing cold and it was windy but Blake held my hand the whole time so I was really warm :)

I had never been to a dance club before, and I was really impressed with everything. They let us in right away when I gave the man at the door our tickets and there were some people by a counter who checked our coats and bags and gave us wristbands and it was nice and warm inside and even though there were a lot of people and I was somewhere new, being with Blake made me feel calm. I feel a little bad that she had to guide me through everything, but she said she'd been there once before so kind of had an idea of what to do. She lead me around the building a little so I knew where the bathrooms were and how to find my way out if we got separated and then we went into the main dance hall.

It was super crowded! The venue was hosting a Teens Valentine's Day Dance thing so there were a bunch of other people our age there all dancing. I'm pretty sure I saw Coco and Fox, and Velvet and Yatsuhashi too! The room was really big and had speakers and lights everywhere and it was loud, but like a good kind of loud, and I could feel the bass in my chest and the lights were pretty cool. The DJ was way in the back on a short stage and he looked like he was having more fun than anybody else, but sometimes he'd get on the microphone and ask the crowd what they wanted to have played and the whole place would shake with their multiple responses and I don't know how he chose what to play after that but in general people seemed satisfied most of the time.

Blake and I wiggled our way through the thick mass of people rocking out to a somewhat secluded area and started dancing. I was really unsure of myself at first – I had trouble keeping up with the rhythm and didn't really know what to do with my arms – but eventually I think I figured it out. Or at least something to do with my body that looked like dancing while I watched Blake.

She was _incredible_! The way she moved was so fluid and entrancing, and she looked like she was having so much fun, I could barely look away. I loved watching her hair shake and fly as she spun and twisted, constantly moving with the beat, and for a second I was mad at myself for not bringing my camera because I wish I could have taken a picture or a hundred of her. One time she caught me gawking and took my hands and said "Dance, Ruby!" but she had to yell for me to hear her and I tried my best to keep up with her but I couldn't follow the music and watch her at the same time so I chose to just watch. I wanted time to slow down so I could watch her forever.

There would be a break about twenty seconds long between songs, which was just enough time for us to catch our breath and smile and laugh at each other before the next song started and we danced again. After a bit the music started to change from electronic dance music to slower, more romantic Valentine's Day-like songs, so Blake and I took a break and decided to get a drink. They had sodas and water at a bar in one of the corners, so Blake got us a couple and we sat on some chairs that ringed the edges. She asked if I was having fun and I said "Yes! This is the most fun I've had in my whole life!" and she smiled and kissed me. We sat there for a while and enjoyed the music while we held hands.

Then, after one of the short intermissions between songs, Blake stood and pulled me by my hand out of my chair and we walked into the middle of the room as the next song started and it was a really slow song and Blake held me close to her chest and I felt my face get hot and we danced slow and I think I was holding my breath because sometimes I felt really light-headed so I had to remember to breath and my heart was beating so fast it felt like it was shaking my whole body. It was like we were the only ones on the dance floor, and I never took my eyes away from hers and she never took hers away from mine and I felt _so warm_ and she smelled _so good_ and her hand was so lightly touching my back and I was scared she could feel how much I was trembling and when she smiled at me it didn't matter if I was holding my breath or not because everything that was in my lungs went out and I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed her and she kissed me back.

I couldn't hear the music anymore, I couldn't feel the uncomfortable ache in my feet from my stupid heels, and all the tightness and tension in my stomach unwrapped itself and bled away. I could only feel her lips against mine and the heat of her skin as her hands wound up my back and held me close to her. When we finally pulled away I looked at her and asked "Hey, Blake, do you love me?"

And she said, "Yes! Yes! I love you, Ruby!"

And I smiled and might have cried a bit and said "Good, because I love you too, Blake!" and then we kissed again.

We finished the song and the next one and then Blake asked me if I was ready to go and I said yes so we picked up our coats and walked back to the car and made out a little before we actually drove away. While we were driving it was like everything hit me at once and I felt really tired and kind of dozed off and when I zoned back in I recognized Blake's neighborhood. I asked her why we were going to her house and she said "Oh, I... kind of hoped that you'd sleep over. If you wanted to?" and it sounded like a fun idea to me so I said sure. I knew Dad would be okay with it since he likes Blake and it wasn't like I'd have trouble getting to school the next day, and Blake said that her parents weren't home but they'd be okay with it too.

Blake let us in and we went up to her room and she told me to wait while she got all the stuff together so I could sleep in her room so I took off my coat and my shoes and sat on her bed and looked at all her pictures and stuff (she was super cute when she was younger – still is too!) and I was really tired from dancing and dinner and freaking out all day that something would go wrong or I would step on Blake's toes (but I totally didn't, not even once!) so I lay back on her bed and covered my eyes for a second and I guess I missed Blake coming back because she said "So you're going to take the bed, huh?"

I sat up and was like "No, I can take the floor!"

Blake shook her head and said "It's okay, you're the guest,"

She was smiling so I knew she was teasing me but I felt bad that I was going to take her bed so I got up and said "No, really! It's _your_ bed, you should have it!" and I tried to pull her over and make her sit on it but she dodged me and I chased her around the room for a minute before she allowed me to 'catch' her and tackle her onto the bed and we both were laughing and smiling and then I noticed that I was literally lying on top of her and got embarrassed because I could feel... well, everything. It was like I was suddenly really conscious of how my boobs were against her chest and how her boobs were right below my chin and how her hands were on my back and how close our mouths were and how hot I felt, and even though I was having a lot of fun playing around with Blake I didn't want to touch her the wrong way or make her uncomfortable, so I started to get up and I said I was sorry but before I could move Blake hugged me and rolled over so we were both lying on the bed and she looked me straight in the eye and I felt my heart speed up and my cheeks felt hot.

She said, "Hey, it's okay, Ruby." and she kissed me and then stood up. She said, "I've been wanting to do this for a little while..." and she pulled me up by my hands so I was sitting and then she took a step back and reached behind her and undid her zipper and then took off her belt.

I was captivated. I probably looked like an idiot, sitting there with my mouth open as I watched her. I knew what was happening but couldn't look away, at least until she pulled her dress off her arms and that was when I turned away and covered my face. I felt like it was wrong to look at her, like it was wrong for me to see her in her underwear because in general people's bodies are private and it's rude and offensive to peek at them, but I _really_ wanted to see.

I felt a touch on my shoulder and Blake said "Ruby? It's okay, you can look." and I turned to look but turned back as soon as I saw that she was only in her underwear. My stomach was flipping all over the place and my chest felt really tight and I couldn't stop shaking. I guess I was nervous. Blake said "Ruby?" and she sounded sad and worried and I realized that she might have thought that I didn't like her or want to look at her, but I did, I just... felt like I shouldn't or wasn't supposed to.

But I didn't' want Blake to feel bad so I stood up and turned around and looked at her and she was so pretty and beautiful and when she saw me her face transformed from kind of sad to smiling and she asked "What do you think?" and I said "You're breathtaking." and walked over to her and leaned up to kiss her and then I said "It's my turn, right?"

I made her sit on the bed and unzipped my dress but as I was taking it off like Blake did I started to feel really awkward and uncomfortable. It didn't feel right to undress in front of her. I felt really nervous, like what if she didn't think I was pretty or she thought I was gross or something? Like, I change in front of people for gym class and stuff, but this felt different. I was really worried about how I looked and covered myself up even though I knew it didn't really hide anything and I could feel Blake watching me and I thought that maybe I didn't want to do this anymore.

But then I heard Blake whisper, "Wow..." and I turned around and she was looking at my face and she said "You're so beautiful, Ruby," and that's when I stopped thinking about if I was too fat or too skinny or too pale or too short or if my boobs were too small or if the scar on my leg was ugly and I just felt happy. I felt happy and pretty.

I walked over to the bed and Blake moved over so I could sit next to her and we took a couple minutes to just look at each other and then Blake looked at me and said "Can I?" and I nodded and she moved over to me and kissed me and I lay down and she was over me and we kept kissing and I felt really hot even though I was in my underwear and it was cold outside. She asked "Do you want to keep going?" and I nodded and she pressed against me and we kept kissing.

But then when she put her hands on my stomach and chest I felt uncomfortable again. It just didn't feel right, like we were doing something we weren't supposed to. I thought about how Dad or Yang would feel if they found out we did this, or what Mom would have thought, and I kept feeling like something wasn't right, so I said "Blake, w-wait a second," and she raised her eyebrow at me and I said "I-I changed my mind, and... I think I want to go home."

She said "Right now?" and then shook her head and said "I mean, yeah, okay, sure."

I could tell she was disappointed and I felt bad. I didn't mean to lead her on, I thought I was ready, but I guess I wasn't. I said I was sorry but she said it was okay and then we got dressed and she took me home. We were both really quiet on the ride, and I felt kind of bad, a lot like how when I lied to her about being sick that one time. It felt like I had lied to her and hurt her feelings. I kissed her when I got out of the car and thanked her for such a fun evening and told her 'Happy Valentine's Day' and she smiled at me and said the same but I could tell she didn't mean it 100%.

Dad was reading in the living room when I came in and he asked me how the dance was and why I was back so late but I said I was tired and wanted to go to bed and I'd tell him tomorrow. I think he saw that something was wrong but he let me go anyway. I went up to my room and hung up my dress and took off my earrings and necklace and then just lay in bed and cried a little.

I feel so bad for letting Blake down, and I don't even know why I did it! I like her a lot, I even told her I loved her, but when it comes to sex I just don't know how to feel. Now it's like I lied when I said I loved her, because people who love each other are fine having sex with each other, right?

I feel so mad and scared and _stupid_. What's wrong with me? Why did I do that? Is Blake mad at me? What if she thinks I don't like her? What if she thinks something is wrong with _her_ , even though it's something that's wrong with _me_?

I couldn't sleep at all.

I'm probably not going to go to school today.

I ruined Valentine's Day.

I just wanted to dance with Blake, and now I've ruined everything.

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	47. February 15th

**Thank you to everyone who messaged me or left a review. Your thoughts and sympathies helped a lot.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

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Today is Monday, February 15th.

I didn't go to school today. I was so tired from last night that I knew I wouldn't be able to focus in class and nothing important ever happens on a Monday anyway so I decided I'd stay home. It was kind of a small bonus that it meant that I wouldn't have to see Blake at school because I didn't know what I wanted to say to her yet, or what I was supposed to say. I don't think it's really all that much of a "Sorry, I just wasn't feeling it right then" kind of deal, where she'll just shrug and say "Okay, Ruby, that's fine!" and we'll both go on with our days and still be super happy by the end of it. I made her go through all the effort of buying a dress, picking me up, driving me, dancing with me, driving me again, and then, right after she takes off her clothes and lets me see her in her most vulnerable state – in her underwear in her bedroom – I decide I want to leave and go home. What is wrong with me? What must she think of me? Or of herself? She probably hates me right now.

Anyway, I slept through my alarm and probably would have slept all the way until lunch time if Yang hadn't come in to get me to try and get me ready for school. She shook me and said that it was time to get up to go but I said I was staying home today and she said "Okay, if you think you're not up for it. I'll get the Math notes for you!" and then she left and I went back to sleep. The next time I woke up was around ten when Zwei hopped up onto my bed and licked at my face because he was hungry so I had to get up and give him his breakfast.

When he was done I took him for a walk around the neighborhood and then when we got back I had some cereal and read the comics in the paper then did my dishes and watched some TV. There's never anything good on before noon on a weekday so I didn't watch a lot and ended up going back to my room and reading through the latest book Blake loaned me. I was right at the end so it only took me about half an hour to finish it so I put it by my stuff so I could give it back to her tomorrow and then I went back to the TV.

I kept thinking about what happened yesterday with Blake and still felt bad so I made some cookies because baking and cookies always make me feel better and it makes the house a little warmer and everything smells good and also it helped to get my mind off of Blake and the dance and everything. I had this really annoying knot in my stomach all morning and couldn't tell if I was hungry or not so when the cookies were ready I ate... all of them. It just made my stomach ache worse.

When it was lunch time at school I got a couple messages from Pyrrha and Nora saying they hoped I felt better. Yang must have told them that I wasn't feeling good, but I guess she couldn't fool Blake. I really hope she isn't mad at me.

I tried to take advantage of being at home so I cleaned up a little bit in the kitchen and did all the dishes I made when I was making cookies and then I let Zwei out so I could vacuum the living room without freaking him out and I almost forgot to let him back in but he started barking at a squirrel right when I was about to go upstairs so I remembered to get him. I started to pick up my room a little just to have something to do but then when I was putting stuff away in my closet I knocked over the box of Mom's stuff that I keep in the corner. I started to put everything back in but then I saw the picture of us when we went to the lake and fed the geese and rode on the merry-go-round and Yang looked so goofy in her big puffy jacket that she used to wear all the time and Mom was smiling while she was carrying me on her shoulders and she was wearing the earrings that Dad gave me for 'Christmas' and that got me thinking back to the dance and I started feeling really bad again.

I really wish Mom was here so I could talk to her about this stuff. She always knew what to do. She'd tell me it was okay and that Blake would understand and then if I said I still didn't feel any better she'd bake me cookies and we'd sit on the couch and talk it all out. She was always so good at making me feel better. I wonder what she would have said about what I did. It's so hard going forward without her.

When I was done putting all her stuff back in the box I finished cleaning up my room and then took Zwei for another walk. We only went around the block because my stomach _really_ hurt and I wanted to lay down so when we got back I gave him his dinner and then watched more TV while I lay on the couch. It helped a bit.

I watched TV for two hours and then Dad came home and asked if I was hungry but I wasn't because I was full of cookies and my stomach hurt which kind of killed whatever appetite I might have had but he said he was hungry so we were going to have lasagna for dinner. I said that was good because I like Dad's lasagna a lot so even if I didn't have any today I could have some leftovers tomorrow! Dad was really surprised that the kitchen was cleaned.

When he was done cooking and the lasagna was in the oven he came over and watched some TV with me and after ten minutes he asked me if I was feeling okay. I said "Yeah, just my stomach hurts a little" and he said "Are you sure?" and I said "Yes" and then we finished the show and then he turned the TV off.

He turned to look at me and said "Now tell me what's wrong, because you can't fool me, Ruby. Does it have anything to do with why you came home so late last night?"

I felt a little nervous, because I didn't really want to talk to Dad about how Blake and I almost had sex but instead I ruined our whole relationship by suddenly deciding I wanted to leave, but I also didn't know what to say instead so I said "Yeah."

He said, "Anything I should know about?" and after I shook my head he said, "Okay. Well, I won't press you, but you can talk to me about anything, Ruby. You know that, right?" and I said I did and then he got up and told me that dinner would be ready soon but I didn't have to come if I didn't feel good.

My stomach felt really bad so I went up to my room and went to bed. I fell asleep after a little while but Yang woke me up by opening my door and then sitting on my bed. I rolled over and sat up and asked her why she was in my room but she just said, "Tell me what happened." in that tone of voice she uses when she talks about what Neo did at her job.

She said that Blake was even quieter than usual at lunch and when she talked to her about it after school today Blake tried to pretend that she was just tired from the dance. Yang said that the last time Blake tried to pretend to be tired was before we were dating and she was working up the courage to ask me out, so she was pretty sure that I was involved and she wanted to know what was happening.

I didn't want to tell her about what happened at Blake's house because I was pretty sure she'd get mad at Blake for trying to have sex with me and it wasn't Blake's fault that I was uncomfortable so I just said that my stomach was really hurting (which it was) and that I wanted to go back to bed.

But Yang said that I couldn't get out of it that easily and she'd keep waking me up until I told her what was wrong and I knew that she wouldn't let it go so I made her promise that she wouldn't get mad and then I told her everything.

I told her about how great the dance went and how Blake took me back to her house when we left and I saw Yang's face tense up but I kept going and told her about how I was going to sleep over and then we played around and then we were on the bed and Blake started undressing. Yang crossed her arms but let me keep going and I said that then _I_ undressed while Blake watched and then we kissed and were on the bed and then how I suddenly felt really uncomfortable and told Blake I wanted to go home.

Yang asked, "Did she pressure you to stay?" and I said no and then she asked "Did she do anything you didn't like?" and I said no and then she asked "So you guys didn't do anything?" and I said yes and she sighed and said "Okay." and stood up and started to leave.

I asked her "Are you mad at Blake?"

Yang laughed and said, "Nope! But I'm going to have a talk with her, and you should too." and then she left and I went back to sleep for another couple of hours.

I hope I didn't get Blake in trouble with Yang.

I guess I'm going to have to go to school tomorrow. It's going to be weird talking to Blake.

I hope we're okay.

XOXO :3

...

P.S. - Weiss texted me about how annoyed she was that I wasn't at school today to tell her about what happened at the dance. She _demanded_ I show up tomorrow and tell her everything. I don't know if I want her to know about what happened.

This has become such a problem – Blake is probably mad at me, Yang is probably mad at Blake, and it's all my fault.

I wish I wasn't so weird. I should have just had sex with Blake.

...

P.P.S. - Blake texted me. She said "I missed you today. I hope you feel better."

I hate myself.

I just want everything to go back to how it was, but I know it can't anymore.

I ruined everything.

...

P.P.P.S. - I threw up. I think it was all the cookies I ate. My stomach feels better now.

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	48. February 16th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Tuesday, February 16th.

I really didn't want to get out of bed today because not only could I hear the wind battering against the house and knew it was going to be really cold today but I also didn't want to have to see Blake and talk to her about what happened on Valentine's Day because I knew it was going to be awkward and I felt like if I didn't talk to her about it eventually she'd forget and everything would be okay again even though I knew that that wouldn't happen. I don't think _I'll_ ever forget about it, so I doubted Blake would too.

Dad was still getting ready to leave when I came down and he asked me if my stomach was feeling better and for a second I thought that maybe I could get away with staying home another day if I told him about how I threw up last night but I didn't want to lie to anyone anymore so I told him I was feeling better. He asked me "Then why do you still look sick to death? Nervous about school?" and I said yeah and he said "If it's something we need to worry about I want you to tell me, Ruby, okay? Is something like that going on?"

I thought about telling him about after the dance but I didn't want him to be mad at me or mad at Blake and I thought that if he knew about how Blake was trying to have sex with me he might make me break up with her so I just told him it wasn't anything like that, which wasn't a _complete_ lie.

He didn't look like he totally believed me but he shrugged and said "Okay, then. I've gotta leave, I was late five minutes ago, but I hope everything works out. Have fun at school!" and then he kissed me on the forehead and left. I locked the door behind him and waved from the window and then got breakfast. We were out of Cheerios so I had to have Dad's boring bran cereal.

Yang came down while I was eating and poured herself a bowl of cereal and said "I talked to Blake," and I felt a knot twist in my stomach because the way she said it made me think that something bad happened and now she was mad at Blake and I didn't want her to be mad at my girlfriend for something that was my fault. She said, "I wish you had told me that she had been getting touchier for a while. I could have warned you that she was testing whether or not you were open to the idea of... sex, and then maybe you wouldn't have been so scared. But, whatever." and then she looked me right in the eye and pointed her spoon at me and said "Talk to her today." and I nodded and said I would.

I finished eating and did my dishes and then went upstairs and got ready for school. I decided I needed to wear my lucky boots today since I was going to have to talk to Blake at some point because I see her three times a day so I needed the extra boost of confidence and then I also chose the sweater Pyrrha and Nora and Ren gave me because it was warm and soft and usually made me feel happier. It also helped a lot with staying warm on the walk to school.

It was super windy today! Even though I was wearing the sweater and Weiss' hat and my scarf and my boots I was still cold! The wind just cut through everything and chilled me straight to the bone. I'm pretty sure I would have turned into a popsicle if Yang and I had taken even another minute to get to school. Blake was waiting for us after the first set of doors and when I saw her I kind of stopped dead and my chest felt tight and my whole body wanted to turn and run away but Yang pushed me forward and she's stronger than me so I had to go. Blake smiled when I said 'Hi' and said 'Hi' back but she didn't hug me or kiss me like she used to before Valentine's Day. She seemed really careful about what she said and how close she got to me.

She asked me if I was feeling better and said "That's good!" when I said I was. Then the bell rang and Yang said she had to get to class but before she left she gave me her 'You better do what you said you'd do' look. Blake and I walked to History together but we didn't hold hands or anything and then right before we walked in Blake said "Ruby?" and I said "Yeah?" and she said "Let's just pretend everything is like it was, at least until after school, okay? And then we can talk?" and I said "Okay." but then when I was walking to my seat I realized that her saying that meant that things _weren't_ the same as before. I guess I had known that already, but it was different to hear Blake confirm it.

Oobleck talked extra fast today it seemed, but luckily Blake still pushed her notebook to the side so I could copy off her.

In English Mr. Port gave us the introduction to the Shakespeare unit and handed out the copies of 'The Merchant of Venice' that we'll be reading. I don't know why everyone complains about Shakespeare – he's not that hard to understand, it just takes an extra minute to untangle everything. I prefer him over _poetry_. When class was over Mr. Port called me over to his desk and said that I missed a quiz yesterday so I would need to stay either during lunch or after school sometime this week to make it up.

Math was really boring. Just more integrals and the teacher kept yelling at me for staring out the window. I get that the test is coming up and everything but we've been going over the same thing for the last week! I still don't understand why we _all_ have to pay attention when Nadir is the only one that needs more help. Why doesn't the teacher just make him stay after school for extra help?

I felt nervous about going to Science class today because I'd see Blake again but also because Weiss was going to ask me about Valentine's Day and I'd have to explain what I did again and I didn't want Weiss to freak out on Blake or anything. I sat down in my seat and was pulling out my stuff when Sun tapped me on the shoulder and sat on top of my desk. I thought for sure that he was going to be mad at me for upsetting Blake because I remembered that when he gave me the tickets for the dance he made me promise that I'd make sure Blake had fun but then I ruined the whole thing by changing my mind about sex so when he took a deep breath I cringed a little and was waiting for him to yell at me but instead he just sighed and pat me on the head and said "It's okay, Rubes, I heard what happened. Sometimes the time just isn't right, y'know?" and then he walked out of class and didn't come back. I wish I knew how to skip class like that – I'd never go back to Math!

Weiss came in and when she saw me sitting in my chair she hurried over to me and sat next to me and asked me how the dance was. I told her about how Blake came over and I gave her the flowers and we took pictures and then how we went to the dance and danced and stuff but she asked "What happened _after_ the dance, hmm?" and I said that I didn't want to talk about it in school and she said "Oh, come on, you can tell _me_!" but I said I _really_ didn't want to so she said "Fine. You'll tell me later though, right?" and I said I would. After that she started to tell me about what she did on Valentine's Day without a boyfriend but the teacher came in and we watched a video all class.

Blake and I walked to lunch together but we didn't hold hands like usual. We just kind of went the same direction at the same speed and stood close together, but we didn't say anything to each other. Even though we said we'd pretend that things were normal, it was pretty obvious that they weren't, and it just made me feel bad because it was all my fault.

It felt like everyone was looking at us funny at lunch. Except Nora and Ren, they were trying to build a castle out of jell-o fruit cups with chocolate milk cartons as a wall. Yang and Pyrrha kept glancing at me and Blake and the whole table was really quiet. I just ate my lunch quickly and then said I had to go make up a quiz. I'm glad that that wasn't a lie, because I would have felt _extra_ bad about lying to everyone. Not that lying to just Blake or just Yang or just Dad are good things or anything. I went to Mr. Port's classroom and took the make-up quiz. Somehow I managed to get an A on it. When the bell rang and I started heading to my next class Yang texted me and said that Blake left lunch early too and said she was going to the library. I felt like crying – I knew I'd made things worse again, and hearing about how I'd hurt Blake's feelings so much that she ran back to the library again made me feel horrible.

When school was over I walked really slowly to where Blake and I agreed to meet and waited for her to show up. I felt really cold but I was shivering more because I was scared that Blake was going to break up with me. I'd really hurt her feelings and basically completely rejected her so I was sure that she hated me and didn't want to be my girlfriend anymore, if even my friend. When she showed up she said "It's kind of cold out, do you want to go to the coffee shop to talk?" and I said yes because it _was_ really cold and windy out so we walked 'together' to the coffee shop and we bought some coffee and sat in the usual spot.

We spent about ten minutes sitting in silence and just sipping at our drinks and Blake looked out the window and I looked at the table. Then Blake said, "Ruby?" and I looked up and she was staring at her coffee and she looked like she was about to cry. She said "I really want to apologize for... what happened the other night. I shouldn't have asked you about... _that_ , so quickly. I just... It was..." and she covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. She said "I had a lot of fun at the dance. I don't remember if I ever said 'thank you' for the flowers. They're still in a vase on my desk. Umm... what I _want_ to say is... that I'm sorry. A long time ago – well, maybe not so long ago, I guess – I had a... boyfriend. It was before I knew I was gay. His name was Adam, and he was tall and handsome and we had similar... hopes, for the future. We both wanted to be journalists and change the world.

"It was my first relationship and I didn't know what I was doing. One day he asked me if... if I wanted to have sex and I said yes because I didn't want him to be mad at me and I felt like I was supposed to. I thought it was what kids our age were supposed to do. But when, _it_ , happened, and it didn't feel right, I got scared. I said I did want to do it anymore and that I wanted to leave, but he told me to stay and convinced me to keep going. I felt scared and confused and uncomfortable, but I listened to him anyway... and I regret it now. When I realized I was gay, he... Adam was really mad at me. He called me a slut and a liar because I had sex with him.

"After that it took me a long time to be comfortable with who I was and... _how_ I was, and it wasn't really until you and I started dating that I started to feel okay again. How I thought I was _supposed_ to feel. And I promised myself that I would never do what Adam did, I'd never pressure someone to do something they weren't sure of... but I broke that promise with you. When you told me you were okay with me... _touching_ you, I thought that meant... but it didn't, huh?

"I thought that the dance was special, and when you agreed to stay over I thought it was the right time, so I... did those things. I think I got swept up in the excitement of the dance and Valentine's Day and everything, but that doesn't excuse me ignoring how you felt. I should have asked if you were okay with it or if you were ready but I didn't. And I'm really, _really_ sorry. I totally understand if you... if you didn't want to go out with me anymore."

I was totally speechless. I wasn't even sure if I was still breathing. I was shocked by what Blake said about her past boyfriend and how she thought it was her fault and also relieved that she wasn't mad at me. I reached out and grabbed her hand and when she looked up I stood and leaned over and kissed her. I said, "I still want to be your girlfriend, Blake." and she smiled and I sat back down but didn't let go of her hand and said, "I was scared you were mad at me for changing my mind."

And Blake said, "No! I'd never be mad at you for that!"

Then I kept going and said, "And I do want to... with you and stuff, but just... I'm not ready right now, I think." and Blake nodded and said that was totally okay and she'd definitely wait to do anything until I said I was comfortable with it and then I said, "I'm sorry I made you think I was mad at you. I still want to hang out and go on dates and do stuff with you. I love you, Blake."

Blake smiled at me and said, "I love you too, Ruby," and I finally felt all the tension in my chest and stomach relax because it seemed like Blake and I finally managed to talk it out and I felt happy again.

After that Blake and I finished our coffee and then we walked back to school holding hands and then she kissed me goodbye and I went home. I didn't have time to sit down and warm up though because Zwei had to go for a walk and then I gave him his dinner and then I did homework until Dad came home and I helped him cut up vegetables for dinner. When Yang came home she gave me a big hug and said Blake texted her about what happened and she said she was really happy that everything had been worked out. When dinner was over I finished my homework and did laundry and watched a little TV with Yang before it was time to go to bed.

I'm glad Blake wasn't mad at me, and that she still wants to be my girlfriend. I still feel kind of bad about changing my mind so suddenly, but at least now I know that Blake won't be upset if I tell her I'm not ready. I don't know when I _will_ be ready, though. There's a lot about sex that I don't understand and I don't know where to go for help.

I think for now I'm just going to focus on the positives though.

I can't wait for tomorrow to see Blake again!

XOXOXO :3

P.S. - Blake and I texted for an hour about the book she lent me that I just finished. I'm going to give it back to her tomorrow and she's going to give me another one!

P.P.S. - Weiss texted me saying that she still wants to know what happened after the dance and I should come over sometime because her parents want to 'meet' meet me.

P.P.P.S. - It took a while for what Blake said to really sink in. That Adam guy is a huge jerk! I couldn't stop thinking about how scared Blake must have been when that happened and I kept getting mad and I couldn't fall asleep so I had to make cookies.

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.  
**


	49. February 19th

**Apologies for the delay.**

 **Thanks for over 500 followers! That's pretty crazy.**

 **Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Friday, February 19th.

I am ready for it to be warm again. Or to learn how to drive so I can drive myself to school and not have to walk in the wind and nearly negative-degrees cold. As much as the sweater (which I need to wash because I've been wearing it too much) or the hat or my boots can keep me warm, my face is always cold and my nose is always running and my hands always hurt by the time we manage to get to school, even if I wear mittens! It doesn't have to be _that_ much warmer, just so it doesn't feel like I live in Antarctica whenever I step outside. This has got to be one of the coldest winters in Vale!

Then again, it's supposed to snow tomorrow, so I guess it can be cold for a little bit longer. Only on the condition that there's snow!

Blake met Yang and I by the front doors and when I told her I was cold she gave me a hug and a bunch of tiny little kisses on my cheek and I giggled because her nose was cold and it tickled me. Then I told her that my hands were _really_ cold and she said, "Well, I'll have to fix that, won't I?" and she held my hands and Yang rolled her eyes. Blake's hands are always warm and they're super soft and her fingers are so much longer than mine she can wrap them all the way around my hands and warm me up super quick!

The best part about a new grading period is that the teachers start taking it easy again! When it gets close to the quarter and everything it starts to get pretty hectic and everyone gets stressed about tests and grades but now that the tests are over people are a lot more relaxed and we barely get any homework! Except for Oobleck's class – he decided that it would be a great idea to give us a research paper the day after our tests! It has to be a whole five pages long! That's _huge!_ I don't know if I'll ever be able to write that much! I have a month to do it, but I feel like I won't be able to get even _close_ to five pages in only a month!

In English today we did a class reading of ' _The Merchant of Venice_ '. I was 'cast' as Portia and Jaune was Bassanio which was a little awkward but what I thought was really funny was that Cardin was Shylock. I had to read out loud a lot but I think it really helped me to pay attention to what was going on and it was fun to be the character and stuff. I was actually a little sad when class ended and I had to stop. It's a good story, but still not as good as the book Blake gave me yesterday! I'm spending a lot of time reading now.

When I got to Science class Weiss reminded me that we were going to hang out at her house after school and I was like, "You don't need to remind me, Weiss, I can't wait!". Then after class when Blake and I were walking to lunch together she asked me if I wanted to go on a date tomorrow! I said, "Yes, of course, absolutely!" and Blake said she'd pick me up in the afternoon. I'm excited!

Lunch was pretty normal, except Jaune was there! He was skipping his gym class to visit Pyrrha at lunch so they sat together and made out and we all thought it was gross. Then Nora was like, "Ren, we can do that too!" and then they started making out and we were all like "Whaaaa?" and then I didn't want to lose to Pyrrha and Jaune or Ren and Nora so I scooted my chair over to Blake's and said "Us too!" and then I kissed her and caught her by surprise and she looked really cute. Yang was the only one left and she said something about how "The cafeteria food was bad enough..." and got up and said she was going to go to the library and do some work. I thought it was funny at the time, but now I feel a little bad that we left her out. I don't know how we could have included her though; it would have been pretty awkward for her to start kissing someone at the table. I guess she and I could have done it since we're sisters, and it totally wouldn't have been to the degree that Ren and Nora or Jaune and Pyrrha or even Blake and I were doing it, but it would still have been weird.

After school ended I met up with Weiss by the front of the school and we got on her bus. It was so nice not having to walk in the stupid freezing cold again! We did have to walk a little, because the bus stop wasn't right in front of her house, but it wasn't as long as my walk home, which was great! When we got inside Weiss grabbed us some snacks and we went up to her room and kicked off our shoes and put our stuff in a corner and sat around her desk and ate. We talked about school stuff like how we each did on the quarter tests and how I think I saw Truancy Officer Ironwood flirting with Vice Principal Goodwitch and Weiss told me about how she overheard Coco Adel giving Velvet advice on how to ask out Yatsuhashi, and then we watched silly cat videos on her laptop for a while. I had to go to the bathroom and when I came back Weiss was on her phone and said that Neptune texted her asking if she wanted to go see a movie.

I said, "You told him 'no', right?"

And she said, "Of course! I told him very specifically what he can do to himself." and I was like "Good!" and sat next to her and was about to show her this great video of a dog riding a skateboard when she said, "But I _almost_ said yes..."

I was like "What?! Why?" because that didn't make any sense at all to me and I reminded her that he cheated on her.

Weiss said, "I know, and he didn't even come to my concert! But I just..." and then she flopped onto her bed and put her arm over her eyes and said, "Everywhere I look I see people in a relationship. You and Blake, Pyrrha and Jaune, Coco and Fox, even Ms. Goodwitch and Ironwood! I mean, she's _old_!" and I tried to point out that Goodwitch and Ironwood only _looked_ like they were flirting and that that didn't mean they were in a relationship but Weiss kept going and said, "I want a boyfriend! I want someone to take me to dinner and movies and leave notes in my locker that tell me how pretty I am! I want someone to take me to a dance!"

And I was like, "Okay, well why don't you ask someone then?"

And she said, "That's the problem! There are like _no_ hot guys that are still available! They're all nerds or ugly or dating already or friends with Neptune, and I don't want there to be even a _slight_ possibility of seeing him around. Sometimes I wish I was a lesbian like you so I didn't have to worry about _boys_!"

I felt a _little_ insulted by that comment but Weiss is my best friend so I know she wasn't trying to be mean or insensitive or anything. I tried to help by listing out all the guys I thought were considered generally attractive but Weiss would say 'no' to every one for some reason or another and I gave up. I wonder if she knows she's super picky. We never really settled the discussion because her mom called us down for dinner.

Eating at Weiss' house was pretty different from eating at home because usually at home Dad and Yang and I all help make dinner and then we eat in front of the TV, but at Weiss' house her mom cooks and they all eat together at the table. They had a chair for me across from Weiss and her parents sat at the ends of the table. The food was delicious! Her mom made pork tenderloin with a special sauce and vegetables and there was some fresh bread and salad and I couldn't stop eating it! I was going back for thirds when her mom started to talk to Weiss and I. She asked me the usual questions that adults ask me – how school was going, what classes I was taking, if I was looking at colleges yet – but then her dad asked me "Ms. Rose, what does your father do?" and I saw Weiss glare at him and whisper under her breath " _Dad_..."

I didn't get what the big deal was so I said, "He works for the government. His office is downtown."

Her dad said, "Hmm, my office is in that area as well, but I don't think I've heard of a 'Mr. Rose'..." so then I explained that 'Rose' was my mom's name and Dad's is 'Xiao Long' and Weiss' dad said "I see... how unfortunate to hear that." or something like that.

Then her mom cleared her throat and said, "Dear, that's enough. Ruby, what do you like to do for fun? Weiss goes to fencing class, singing lessons, some dance lessons in the spring, and equestrian practice in the summer. Do you do anything like that?" and I told her how I was really into photography and how I just got a new camera for Christmas and she was like, "Oh, wonderful! We've actually been looking for someone to photograph Weiss' upcoming fencing tournament! Would you like to do it? We could pay you?" and I said yes really fast because that sounded _awesome_. I've done some photography for neighbors and friends and stuff before but I never got _paid_ for it, and getting to see Weiss compete is going to be great!

Then Weiss suddenly said that she was done eating and asked for us both to be excused and her parents said that was okay so we got up and left and went back to Weiss' room. When we got there Weiss slammed the door and said she was really sorry for how her parents talked to me. I didn't really know what she was talking about but I said it was fine and not to worry about it. We talked some more about boys and school and a little about fashion and then a little about Blake and then I got a text from Yang that said that she was coming to pick me up since she was getting home late from work anyway and she needed Weiss' address. I thought that was a little strange since Yang usually walks to work after school so I was confused as to how she was going to pick me up but I gave her the address.

When Yang texted me that she was almost there I packed up my stuff and put my shoes on and said 'bye' to Weiss' parents and thanked them for dinner (I made sure to tell her mom how tasty dinner was!) and they said it was a delight to have me and that next time they'd love it if I brought some more cookies which I thought was really funny and then I waited on the porch with Weiss. I didn't recognize the car that pulled up but I was glad it got there so quickly because it was really cold outside so I said 'bye' to Weiss and then got in.

Yang was sitting in the passenger seat and some girl was sitting in the driver seat. Yang introduced her as Neo and I had to stop myself from asking "The Neo that you always complain about?" and instead I introduced myself and thanked her for picking me up and Neo smiled at me. She had two different colored eyes, which was _awesome!_ She also had dyed hair which looked really cool. She looked like she was only a few years older than Yang, so I think she probably goes to school at the local college.

Yang gave Neo directions on how to get home and sometimes Neo would smack her on the shoulder and make a really weird hand gesture and then Yang would say something like "No, the turn after this." or "Yeah, the next light." and I didn't really understand what was going on, I just thought that Neo was hitting Yang a lot. When we got home and I thanked Neo for the ride Yang explained to me that Neo was mute and the hand signals were how she talked. I said "That must make it hard for her to take orders at work..." but Yang said "Neo isn't a waitress, she's a gourmet cook!" so I asked "What does she do that annoys you so much? Besides how she hits you _all the time_?" and Yang said, "Oh, she pulls my hair sometimes or pokes me when I'm not expecting it and she used to hide my uniform, but it's really settled down lately. I'm pretty much the only one she 'talks' to, and then tonight she offered to drive me home." I said "Okay..." and then decided to go to bed but I still think it's weird how much Neo hit Yang.

It was a pretty great day, and I can't wait to start the weekend!

XOXOXO :3

P.S. - It started to snow and Blake texted me that maybe tomorrow wasn't the best day to try and go on a date because driving might be hard. I said that if it snowed enough we should meet up at school and go sledding! She seemed to like that :)

P.P.S. - I had an idea and asked Blake if Sun was dating anybody. She said he wasn't and wanted to know why I asked, but I told her it was a secret ;)

P.P.P.S. - I have to do laundry and I won't have anything to wear when I meet up with Blake tomorrow! :(

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	50. February 20th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

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Today is Saturday, February 20th.

There was so much snow! I woke up and looked out my window and everything was white and it looked so smooth and cool and I felt really cozy in my pajamas and wanted to do nothing more than sit in bed wrapped in my blankets with some hot chocolate and read! But then I remembered that Blake and I agreed to go sledding as a contingency plan if we couldn't go on our date (she still hasn't told me what she has planned) so I grabbed my phone and texted her "SNOW!" while I went downstairs to get breakfast. At first I was really worried that I woke her up (I always get up early when it snows!) but she texted me back really fast saying "I know! See you at school ;)" so I think she had already gotten out of bed and I got even _more_ excited about today!

Dad was already eating when I got downstairs and he had made pancakes for breakfast because he's the best and he knew that I was going to be down early so I ate breakfast with him and he asked me to help him clear out the cars before I went to hang out with Blake. Yang came down right as I finished and started eating and Dad asked her the same thing and she just groaned. She looked really tired, I wonder if she stayed up super late? I heard her laugh a couple times last night before I went to bed, and I'm pretty sure I was asleep before eleven so I wonder when she finally turned in. She perked up a little when I told her that when we were done with the driveway and sidewalk and stuff I was going to go sledding with Blake and I asked if she wanted to come along. She said, "Sure, sounds like fun!" and then I had the idea to ask Pyrrha and Sun and Nora and Ren and Jaune and Weiss (even though I was pretty sure that Weiss would say no) if they wanted to go sledding too!

After I did my dishes I ran up to my room and got dressed and put on my squeaky snow pants and my boots but I had to borrow a sweater from Yang's room because all my warm clothes are dirty. Her shirts and jackets _almost_ fit me, they're just a little long in the arms so I have to roll the sleeves up a touch and they always fall back down which is annoying but Blake told me once that it looked cute so I don't mind it too much anymore.

I beat Dad outside and was done with the porch before he had even started shoveling! He just laughed at how determined I was to go sledding. Yang came out and helped, but by then Dad and I had already gotten both cars and were finishing up the sidewalk so we made her do the neighbors' driveway. When that was over I wanted to leave right away but Dad made me get a snack first and then I grabbed the sleds from the basement and told Yang to hurry up. I checked my phone while I waited for Yang to get ready and Weiss and Ren said they couldn't come sledding but everyone else said they could so I told them all that I was leaving and to meet me at school!

It was a really difficult trip because not everyone had shoveled out their sidewalks yet so sometimes Yang and I had to walk through the snow and the sleds were a pain because there's really no comfortable way to carry a sled, but on the way we saw a lot of other kids playing in the snow and we had to run between two houses that were the bases for a giant snowball fight which was really fun except that I got hit in the shoulder by a stray projectile and snow went down my back :(

When we got to school we went to the back where the big hill over the track was and there were a bunch of other people there already. I saw Coco and Fox and Yatsuhashi and Velvet and May Zedong and Dew Gayl, and Scarlet and Sage were building a ramp at the bottom of the hill and there was already a line forming to try it out. Yang and I waited at the top until Blake and Sun showed up and Sun went to help Scarlet and Sage while Blake hung out with me and then Pyrrha and Nora and Jaune got there but we only had the two sleds so we all had to take turns. It was still super fun though! Pyrrha and Jaune went down together and they went super far! I think they almost made it halfway across the field! Yang and Nora raced each other down the hill and Nora won, but only by a hair!

I really wanted to try the ramp so I grabbed Blake and asked her to come with me but she said, "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Ruby..." but I said I really wanted to and then she smiled at me and said, "Well, okay then..." and we got on the sled and she sat behind me and I asked Yang to give us a push. We went _so_ fast, and hit the ramp _perfectly_! It felt so amazing, flying through the air! I think Blake got scared because she hugged me really tight and I think she screamed but I'm not sure because I was screaming too. It was so awesome! Everyone on the hill was cheering us while we walked back up and Pyrrha and Jaune both said they caught it on their phones, so I'm really excited to watch it when I see them on Monday! I asked Blake what she thought and she had a _huge_ smile and said that it was "quite a ride!"

We kept sledding for a long time but then someone started throwing snowballs (I still don't know who, just that both Nora and Yang claim to be innocent) and suddenly the whole hill erupted into conflict. People were using sleds as shields and at one point I'm pretty sure there was more snow in the air than on the ground, but it was still a ton of fun! I teamed up with Yang and Blake and we sneaked around and bombarded Sun and his friends from behind but then Nora and Jaune and Pyrrha ambushed _us_ and Nora dumped a giant pile of snow right on top of Yang's head. Yang got 'mad' and started chasing Nora around while Blake and I got away from the fight and watched for a bit and then we made a snowman.

When it started to get dark people started to go home and I got a text from Dad that he wanted us to come back before it got _too_ late. I told Yang and we got our sleds but then Blake asked me if I wanted to go get a snack with her and I couldn't say no to that so Yang agreed to carry the sleds home and I told Dad that I was hanging out with Blake and that I'd get a ride home so he didn't have to worry about me walking in the dark. When he texted me back that that was okay Blake and I said bye to everybody and left. We held hands while we walked and talked about how incredibly fun sledding was and we drew faces on the windshields of cars that weren't shoveled out yet, and I felt really really happy.

We walked to the coffee shop which was open (luckily) and we got some cookies and muffins to share with our drinks and we had our choice of seating since we were the only ones there so we took our usual table. I told Blake about how I finally met Neo and she told me a funny story about how Sun tried to dye his hair once but messed it up and was left with pink hair for a month. After that I told her about how much I enjoyed all the books she was lending me and we talked about the stories and the characters for a long time. She reads so much deeper into stuff than I do, and it's really awesome being able to talk to her about it and learn things. She pays so much attention to the way characters act and the small, subtle plot points, that when she told me about some of the stuff it completely changed my opinion of one of the villains! I wish she was in my English class so she could help me there too :)

When we were both done with our food and our drinks we left and walked back to Blake's house so she could drive me home. The roads had been mostly plowed by then so we got back pretty quick without any real trouble (the tires slipped once on a hill, but it worked out) and I kissed Blake goodbye and thanked her for the ride and for such a fun day and then waved from the porch until I couldn't see her car anymore.

Dinner was already ready when I came inside so as soon as I got out of all my snow clothes I sat down and ate with Yang and Dad and even sneaked some chicken to Zwei under the table :)

Afterwards I had to do the dishes since I didn't help make dinner and then I had to do laundry because I forgot to start it last night but all my snow clothes were soggy so it was good that I waited because I could do them at the same time. When that was done Yang and I watched TV while I folded all my clothes and then I got a cookie before I went up to go to bed.

I'm really tired, but it was such a great day! Tomorrow I'm going to take pictures of Zwei playing in the snow :)

Goodnight!

XOXOXO :3

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	51. February 22nd

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Monday, February 22nd.

I'm so glad I did laundry over the weekend because it meant I didn't have to wear any of Yang's stinky sweaters or socks today! It's not like _she_ smells bad or anything, but her clothes definitely smell different than mine, especially right after I've washed them. Then all my clothes smell like flowers! I think Yang's clothes smell weird because she keeps them all on her floor (even the clean ones!) and then she steps on them and Zwei sheds on them so they always smell like feet and dog hair. Dad used to tell her all the time to clean up her room but he gave up a couple years ago.

Anyway, school opened on time today even though I hoped and wished and dreamed that it was delayed by two hours. I kind of knew that it wasn't going to be delayed because a lot of the snow melted yesterday and the roads were cleared on Saturday, so it wasn't very likely, but there was a _small_ chance! Dad was out defrosting his windshield when I came down and had breakfast, and I only had time to say "Good morning!" and "Have a nice day!" before he left because he said he was already running late and the roads were going to be completely clogged because of how everyone drives in the snow. I've been meaning to ask him if he knows Weiss' dad ever since I had dinner at her house but I keep forgetting! I'll try to remember tomorrow. Yang came downstairs while I was still eating and she looked really tired again. I asked her how late she was staying up and she said "Only, like, four or something..." and I glared at her and told her to get more sleep because we have a big math test coming up and we both need to get good grades! She mumbled something at me and then started eating her breakfast.

Blake was wearing a really cute sweater today! Well, the sweater was kind of plain actually (it was just a boring flat gray), but it made Blake look really cute! She met Yang and I outside in front of the school again after we walked (easy trip, just Yang was really slow!) and she gave me a kiss on my nose and held my hands to warm them up and we talked about the weekend until the bell rang and we had to go to class. Oobleck had a cold or something so we had a substitute and he thankfully talked _soooo_ much slower than Oobleck so I could actually take my own notes today! Not that I did – I still copied off of Blake! She kept laughing at me and saying that I should just take my own notes but if I did that I couldn't have drawn all the silly little doodles in her notebook that I did! By the end of class we were just drawing pictures in each others' notebooks and the teacher didn't notice since we sit so far in the back. We might have missed a lot of notes, but since the substitute talked so slow we probably only need to look up like _one_ year instead of the _thirty_ that we might have skipped if it had been Oobleck.

In English today we finished up the ' _The Merchant of Venice_ ' and watched a bit of the movie to "help reinforce the plot", according to Mr. Port. We have a test on it at the end of the week, but I'm just really excited to find out what we're going to read next! I remember that I always used to hate reading books for English class, but after being in Mr. Port's class and dating Blake I _love_ reading books! Dad told me yesterday that he thought it was so strange that he saw me on the couch _reading_ more often than he saw me watching TV!

Yang fell asleep in Math today and the teacher yelled at her and gave her a detention. I warned her to get more sleep! Most of the class today was spent doing practice problems, which was really boring but I think it'll help for the test!

Science class today was… not great. Ever since Weiss complained to me about how much she wanted a boyfriend I've been trying to think of who I should try to get her to ask out or who would be a good match for her and one of the ideas I had was Sun, since he's tall and funny and handsome and hot for a guy and he's friends with Blake so he's obviously a good person and he went to her concert and everything, so I decided that today I was going to try and get him to think about asking her out. I got to class really early and waited for him to get there and when he did (luckily he got there before Weiss did!) I waved him over and he was like "What's up, Rubes?" and we talked for a _very_ short time about how fun sledding was and he thanked me for inviting him and everything and then I said, "Hey, Sun, what do you think of Weiss?"

And he said, "Weiss Schnee? Well, I think… I mean, she's okay."

So I said, "Is that all, 'Okay'? Don't you think she's pretty?"

Sun was like, "Yeah, I guess."

And I was getting excited because I thought my idea was totally going to work so I said, "You should ask her out! I think you two would make a cute couple!"

But then Sun said, "Are you kidding? _Fuck_ no!" and he looked really upset about the idea so I asked him why not and he said, "Because she's a total stuck-up bitch? Because she's mean to _literally every person_ besides you? Or maybe because of how she treated Neptune?" I asked him what he meant by the last one because Neptune cheated on her and stuff but he said, "Yeah, that's what I thought too, so the day after the concert I went to beat some sense into him for being a cheating douchebag but when I got there he said that he and Weiss went on three dates and then he told her that he didn't want to go out with her again. He said every time they went out she was critical of everything and got mad if he wasn't complimenting her every two minutes and then she'd text him all the time and get really angry if he didn't text her back immediately, so he told her they were done."

I was like, "And you believed all that? Sun, he _cheated_ on her! He was probably making it up!"

Sun said, "Yeah, I thought about that. I was at the concert too, Ruby, I saw how messed up Weiss was about that. But I've known Neptune a lot longer than I've known Weiss, and he's never lied to _me_ about stuff like this before. And it's not hard to imagine _Weiss_ being that big of a bitch about that stuff – I mean, there's a reason people call her the ' _Ice Queen_ '."

Then Weiss came in and saw Sun sitting in her seat talking to me and she screamed at him to get out of her chair and Sun looked at me and gave me a 'see what I'm talking about?' look before he went to his seat in the back. Weiss asked me, "What are you doing talking to _him_? He's friends with Neptune!" and I just said that I asked him if he knew where Blake was planning on taking me for a date. She was like "Oh okay" and then started telling me about what she did over the weekend until the teacher came in and we started on the lab.

When class was over Blake and I walked to lunch and on the way I asked her what she thought of Weiss. She said, "Weiss is… okay." and since Sun said the same thing I thought that maybe Blake also thought Weiss was mean so I asked her what she meant by 'okay' and she said, "She's not the nicest person. I know she's your best friend and she helps you a lot so I don't think she's as terrible as some people say, but aside from when we'd visit you in the hospital together she's barely spoken to me. Ever since I've known her she's been kind of stuck up and grumpy, like she thinks everyone is beneath her. Actually, until you came along, Ruby, I don't think I had ever seen her smile at anyone." and that made me feel really sad for Weiss.

Lunch was pretty quiet because Yang was in detention so she couldn't mess with Nora like she usually does so we all just showed each other the videos we took on our phones of sledding and talked about how Pyrrha saw Officer Ironwood and Ms. Goodwitch come out of the copy room together. Blake brought some special sushi or something that her mom made her and she shared with me! It was really good! I gave her my chocolate milk in exchange :)

After school was over I said bye to Yang and wished her good luck at work and then kissed Blake goodbye and walked home. When I got there I took Zwei for a quick walk and then did some homework and then watched a little TV but there was nothing good on so I read instead. Dad came home later than usual (stupid traffic!) and we made macaroni and cheese! We were going to wait for Yang but she texted me that she was going to be extra late and said not to wait for her so we didn't and watched a movie while we ate. When she finally got home I was already done with my homework and the dishes and she came in, said "Hi.", and then went straight up to her room. At first I thought she was going to just go to bed but when I was walking by on my way to brush my teeth I heard her giggling so I don't know what she was doing.

I was going to go to bed early (after reading some more) but I kept thinking about what Blake and Sun said about Weiss. I don't think she's a mean person, I just think she's really uncomfortable around people she doesn't know very well and so she just _acts_ grumpy so they won't bother her. I mean, Sun and Blake don't know the _true_ Weiss, only the school-Weiss. I don't think they understand how much pressure her parents put on her or how much she puts on herself and they've never seen how funny she can be or how much she loves dogs. I still can't forget how I found her behind the school with those drugs and she yelled at me and stuff. Yeah, she was mean to me at first, but after I got to know her and stuff she wasn't mean and was really nice and funny and caring and all sorts of things! They just have to get to know her.

I also don't know how to feel about what Sun said about Neptune. I don't trust Neptune because Weiss is my best friend and I saw the text message that said he cheated on her which is a really scummy thing to do, but Sun is a smart dude and I trust him too.

I don't know which story to believe, Neptune's or Weiss'.

And I still think Sun and Weiss would be a cute couple, so I'm going to keep trying to get one of them to ask out the other. I just need to show Sun that Weiss isn't as mean as he thinks, and I need to show Weiss that Sun is awesome even though he's friends with Neptune. I'll probably wait a week before I bring it up again, just to let things settle. I should get Blake to help me!

Time for bed! Right after I finish this chapter… :)

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I believe Weiss. She's my best friend, why wouldn't she tell me the truth?

...

P.P.S. - Blake doesn't think it's as good an idea as I do.

...

P.P.P.S. - I was sleeping and having a really good dream and then Yang woke me up by knocking on my door. I was like "What do you want, Yang, it's three in the morning!" and she came over and sat on my bed and said, "I need your advice, Ruby." and she sounded really serious and kind of worried or something so I asked her what was wrong and she said, "Neo asked me out." and if I had been sleepy before I _definitely_ wasn't anymore.

I sat up and put my pillow behind my back so I was more comfortable (I had a feeling this was going to take a while) and asked her what happened.

Yang said, "Well, Neo started off being really annoying; she'd pull my hair, hide my uniform, hit me on the arm all the time, and whenever she had to walk by me she'd step on my toes. Then like three weeks ago she stopped and started being… almost _nice_ to me. She'd bring me some water when I was on break and she'd sit with me and we'd 'talk' about stuff… I didn't think anything of it at the time, I was just happy she'd stopped bugging me. She gave me her phone number and we've been texting for hours every day. Then last week she offered to drive me home and I said yes, and now she insists on driving me home every night. And then, today, she asked me if I wanted to get something to eat after work and I said sure, and we went to a really nice restaurant and she ordered for me and payed for me and everything and it was really… fun. When it was over and she dropped me off I was about to get out when she grabbed me by the arm and asked if I'd go with her to the movies on Friday."

So I asked, "What did you say?"

And Yang said, "I told her I would."

And I was like, "But Yang, you're not gay!"

Yang said, "Well, my sister is gay and my best friend is gay, so, I don't know, maybe _I'm_ gay too!"

I tried to tell her that that wasn't how it worked but she said she was just feeling too excited to not tell anyone and then got up and wished me goodnight and left.

I have a bad feeling about this.

* * *

 **Progress on this story is suspended until 'Blood and Ink' can be updated. I apologize for the inconvenience.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	52. February 29th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Monday, March-

Today is Monday, February 29th.

Ugh, leap years always get me! Now I'm sure that I wrote 'March 1' on all my notes today, and when I go back over them to study I'm going to be so confused!

Today was kind of boring, which isn't too unusual for a Monday. It's like we've been in school for long enough that now everyone's kind of just waiting for Spring Break so we can do fun things!

Zwei woke me up before my alarm went off because I guess Dad forgot to let him outside when he woke up, so I had to go downstairs and let Zwei outside and then since I was up already I decided to just start on my morning routine. I had cereal and orange juice and read a little bit of the paper because I had the extra time and I saw an article that said that the new art museum was finally open! I think it would be really fun to take Blake there some time, because she seems like she'd love to go and we'd get to talk about art and stuff. She keeps teasing me by saying that she has a really great date idea in mind but things keep getting in the way! Last week it was the snow and this week she had to cover the football game for her journalism class so we didn't even get to hang out. I wish I knew what she had planned!

Yang came down while I was doing dishes and she looked super tired again. I asked her how she felt and she made some weird hand gesture at me and then said "Good." but she looked like she was about to collapse. She needs to stop talking to Neo all the time and get some sleep! Our math test is on Friday!

The walk to school today was great because the weather suddenly got really warm for some reason so for the first time in what felt like _forever_ I didn't have to wear my big coat or my boots! I felt so light without them, and I practically _skipped_ to school! Yang kept telling me to slow down because I was leaving her behind, but it's her fault for not getting enough sleep!

Blake was waiting for us again and I gave her a big hug and then returned the book she lent me. I finished it last night and it was _so good_! I asked her how the football game went and she said it was freezing during the game so she could barely write down notes or anything and the bleachers were metal so her butt kept getting cold and then the team lost so nobody was happy. I said I was sorry for how bad it was and gave her a kiss to cheer her up and she smiled :)

Then I said that maybe I should go with her to the next one so I could take pictures for her so she didn't have to take as many notes. She said that that was a great idea!

History was really boring. Oobleck was so upset that he missed some classes last week that he's spent the entire time going over what the substitute taught us, which normally would be a good thing because I'd get a second chance to take notes, but since the sub talked so much slower I actually already got the notes, and there's nothing more boring than hearing the same history twice. Blake and I just made doodles in each others' notebooks :)

When class was over Oobleck reminded us that we had a research paper due in a couple weeks and I got a little nervous because I'd totally forgotten and hadn't started yet! I asked Blake if she'd started yet and she said "Yeah, I'm almost done with all the research, and I've come up with a strong thesis... after that it's just spending time writing it!" which made me even more nervous because I hadn't even come up with an idea yet! I'm going to have to dedicate a lot of time soon to writing it, but I don't know when because I have tests to study for and Weiss' fencing tournament is next weekend and I want to hang out with Blake and go to the art museum! School is so hard :(

In English we're starting _The Odyssey_ which from the short description Mr. Port gave us sounds _awesome_! Mythology is so cool! It's also a total departure from the rest of the stuff we've read this year, so that's pretty cool too! Jaune said he was having some trouble deciphering all the epic poetry stuff, so I'll probably have to schedule some time to help him understand it. That just means less time for my research paper, which is totally not a problem at all...

The math teacher yelled at Yang again and gave her a detention. It seems like Yang gets a detention in that class every day! On Friday it was because she fell asleep, and today it was because she was playing games on her phone. I asked her about it after class, because Yang doesn't usually play games on her phone, and she said "I wasn't playing games, I was looking up sign language. The teacher thought I was playing because I was practicing the signs." When I asked why she was doing _that_ instead of paying attention to the class she said, "I thought I'd use the time to actually _learn_. It's not like we're taught anything useful in that class anyway... Jokes on her though, I learned how to say 'Please pass the ice cream'."

Before I could ask how _that_ was going to be useful I had to leave for Science class. I've been waiting for the opportune time to get Sun and Weiss together, but since Sun got so mad at the suggestion last week I've focused on trying to find something they'd both enjoy and then Blake and I can pretend to invite them to the thing and then they'd be there together and they'd see that they're both awesome and perfect for each other! I keep thinking about using the movies, but then they'd just sit far away from each other and they wouldn't be able to talk without ruining the movie, so I need to come up with something different. So far I know that Weiss likes fancy stuff like ballet and fencing and singing, and that Sun likes cool stuff like skateboarding and sports and rock music. I don't really know how to get those to overlap, but I'll figure something out!

Anyway, when I got to class they were both already there, so I didn't have a chance to talk to either one of them and then the teacher showed up and we had to take notes. I'm trying to get Blake to help me but she still thinks it's a bad idea to force this sort of thing, but I keep saying that I managed to get Pyrrha and Jaune together and they turned out great.

At lunch we all collaborated to turn our utensils into a plastic spork scorpion out of sporks, napkins, and some tape Ren had in his backpack. I was going to ask why he keeps tape in his backpack but then I remembered how much time he spends with Nora. Yang showed up after 'serving her time' and immediately called our magnificent work of engineering genius a "sporkion". She thinks she's so funny.

When school was over Blake asked me if I wanted to hang out but I said I needed to work on all my homework. She looked sad so I gave her a kiss and said I was sorry, but I really had a ton of homework to do! I had my research paper, a reading assignment for English, review sheets for math, and a science worksheet! Last week was so easy, why is this week so hard? Spring Break is coming up soon, why can't my teachers just relax? :(

Blake said it was okay and that she'd text me later.

As soon as I got home I had to take Zwei for a walk and then I started on my homework. I put on some music and just tried to get as much done as I could. When Dad called me for dinner I'd finished the science and math, but I still had to read and come up with a thesis for my research paper. Dad let me get out of doing dishes when I told him how much homework I had – I should use that excuse more often.

I was reading _The Odyssey_ in the living room when Yang came home and she had a big smile on her face and when I asked her what was up she just said that work was great and Neo was in a good mood today, and then she went upstairs.

I don't know how to feel about Neo – on one hand, she hits Yang and is mean to her at work and stuff, but on the other she gives Yang rides and seems to make her super happy. Yang's even learning sign language for her, and that's got to be good, right?

It also helps that Yang said that Neo was a patissier (which means fancy-dessert-maker or something) and wanted to teach her some recipes which means that I might get to have fancy desserts!

Maybe she's okay after all.

When I was done reading I got some ice cream and watched a little TV before I went to bed and then Blake texted me so I texted with her for awhile. We talked mostly about school and then we texted each other goodnight and I went to bed.

Now I just need to remember that _tomorrow_ is March 1st, not the second!

Goodnight!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I forgot to do my research! Darn!

* * *

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	53. March 4th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Your patience as I work towards a schedule is appreciated.  
**

* * *

Today is Friday, March 4th.

Today _sucked!_ I was in a _bad_ mood _all_ day. Nothing seemed to go right. I'm still mad.

I guess it would be accurate to say I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I did not sleep well. I stayed up super late working on my stupid research project because I thought it was due today but it wasn't because it's due in two weeks but I'm really dumb when I stay up late and got the date mixed up so I was freaking out and working as hard as I could to meet the minimum requirements for a 'C' and then when I looked at the clock it was like five in the morning and I usually get up for school around 7:30 so I stopped myself and went to bed.

So then of course I overslept because I was so tired so Yang had to wake me up and I was late and didn't get to shower and there wasn't enough cereal left for a full bowl so I only had like half a breakfast before we had to head to school. It was cold again today even though all week it had been super nice and it was really windy and it kept blowing in my face and I just wanted to go home and go back to bed.

At least Blake was there to meet me by the front of the school and we got to hug and I told her I was really tired and already having a bad day and she said that she was sorry that I wasn't having a good time but told me that I only had to get through today and then it would be the weekend and we'd be able to hang out at the football game together and get dinner or something. That made me a little happier :)

Blake is the best :)

But then my day kept getting worse and worse. In History we had a pop quiz that I _know_ I didn't do well on, and then during the lecture afterwards I fell asleep and Oobleck made me stay after. He told me he was disappointed that I wasn't paying attention and gave me extra work to do :(

English would have been perfect if I hadn't fallen asleep while we were doing a group reading of _The Odyssey_. Mr. Port called on me to read a passage and I was just sitting there snoring and when Jaune woke me up everyone was laughing at me. After class Mr. Port told me he wanted me to write a one-page essay on the passage I was supposed to read so that he could be sure I understood why it was important to the story, so now I have even _more_ work to do! And talking to Mr. Port took up all my time so I couldn't hang out with Pyrrha and Jaune between classes which would have been a nice break from the constant stress of my day up to that point.

Instead I had to run to math class and got there a minute late so the teacher marked me 'tardy' which meant that Dad got a phone call about how I was missing class and we had to have 'a talk' after dinner. But anyway, I forgot we were going to have a test today, so I got to struggle with every problem and probably failed. I can't believe I forgot after spending all week pestering Yang about how she needs to spend more time studying for it! And I was so tired I swear all the numbers were moving around and I couldn't even do basic addition or subtraction. My grade is totally going to tank.

After _that_ pleasant portion of my day, I dragged myself to science and hoped that we'd just take notes or watch a cool science video or something, but no, we had to do a lab. We were supposed to test the weights and densities of a bunch of different materials like steel, copper, sponge, granite, and lead by measuring them before and after dipping them in water and then over the weekend we were supposed to write the lab report. Or something like that, I could only barely understand what was going on.

Weiss took over, as usual, and I said I'd record all the data while she did the experiment. Things were going great until we finished and Weiss came over to copy the data and she saw that I was using the wrong formula. She got really mad at me because we had to do the whole experiment over again (even though it only took like fifteen minutes) and she said "Try to do it right this time!" and I said "Of course, your majesty." because I was in a bad mood and I just wanted to go home and she was yelling at me for an innocent mistake that's partly her fault anyway for going too fast and not checking to make sure I was doing it right.

Anyway, I was getting out a new sheet of paper to record the data on when Weiss suddenly stomps over and stands right in front of me and says "What did you just call me?" and she looked really upset. And then for some reason I said, "Let's just get back to work, Ice Queen."

I think I said it because I was mad and because I know Weiss _hates_ being called that.

I thought she was going to explode. Her face got really red and I saw her jaw clench and then she started _screaming_ at me in the quietest screaming voice I've ever heard. She said, " _I'm_ not the one who screwed it up, you dimwitted dunce. You'd never be able to do this without me!" which just made me even more angry so I said "Sure I could. I'd just ask anyone else in class, because at least people _like_ me and want to work with me because I'm not a _bitch_!"

Weiss' eyes were so wide. She said, "It's so terribly sad that you think people like you. _Nobody_ likes short, stupid, _useless_ lesbians like you." and that really hurt.

Sun and Blake were working at the table next to ours and I guess Sun heard Weiss say that to me because he came over and told her to calm down and leave me alone. She just yelled "Piss off, you horrible, filthy excuse for a sentient creature!"

That must have annoyed Blake because she came over too and told Weiss that she was screaming and we all needed to calm down and let it go. The other students stopped working and started watching the four of us all fight with each other which got the teachers attention so he came over and broke us up and when we told him what happened he sent Weiss to the principal's office.

She flipped me off as she left.

I didn't finish the experiment by myself. Blake said I could use her data for the report.

I was all by myself during lunch.

Blake had a group meeting for her journalism class so after she and I walked to the cafeteria she gave me a quick kiss and apologized for what happened in Science and then left. Yang was in detention for another class besides math for texting. Ren and Nora were in detention too. I heard that someone was trying to pick on Nora (are they crazy?) and that Ren stepped in and did some freaky judo move to stop the bully. People are saying he snapped the kid's arm in half. Pyrrha and Jaune skipped the rest of school, which I would have known about if I'd been able to hang out with them after English and then I could have gone with them and gotten home early and been done with this stupid day.

I ate my Poptarts (the only thing I managed to grab before we had to leave for school) and bought a fruit cup and chocolate milk from the cafeteria but I couldn't get it to open easily and ended up spilling milk on my skirt.

When I got home Zwei wanted to go for a walk and we ran into that stupid dachshund that hates him so they fought and he got scratched up. After I made sure he was okay I started on all my stupid extra homework and then my stupid regular homework but I fell asleep in the middle and Dad woke me up to talk to me about the message the school left about how I missed a class and then we had dinner and it was my night to do dishes and then I had to do more homework.

I'm still mad at Weiss. There's a part of me that knows that it was mostly my fault and I should apologize, but I don't want to. I want her to stew for a little bit.

Now I kind of get why people say she's mean. Your best friend isn't supposed to use your sexuality as a weapon against you.

Maybe we're not going to be friends again.

Right now, I'm okay with that.

Today sucked.

At least it's the weekend finally.

XOX :3

...

P.S. - Blake texted me to make sure I was okay. I said I was, but really I'm _still_ mad.

...

P.P.S. - I want to make cookies but there's no ingredients for cookie dough.

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	54. March 5th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

At the request of **greeny74** and **Foxinstrazt**.

* * *

Today is Saturday, March 5th.

I slept _forever_ last night, which makes sense since I was so so so tired yesterday, and it felt really good. The only downside was that I woke up kind of late in the morning and I had a lot of stuff to do today.

When I came downstairs in my pajamas Dad was still reading the paper at the table and he said, "Morning, sleeping beauty. What's the plan for today?" so I told him that I had to do a whole ton of homework and go over my research paper and then I was going to go to the football game with Blake and help her with her journalism class. He just nodded and said "That's good." and went back to the paper.

I grabbed a bowl and some cereal and ate breakfast in front of the TV and managed to catch the end of some funny weird cartoon about a camp. I don't usually eat in front of the TV but I might have to start because that show was really good. When I was done and washed my dishes I went back up to my room and got started on my homework.

I did the History stuff first. Oobleck wanted us to read a chapter from the textbook and then do an online quiz, so that only took about twenty minutes, but then, since I got assigned extra work, I also had to define fifteen terms and explain why they were significant, and that stuff always takes a lifetime to finish. Doing the terms almost put me back to sleep, so I rewarded myself with a short break and watched cat videos.

After that I started working on the essay that Mr. Port told me to do to make up for sleeping in class. I ended up reading ahead in _The Odyssey_ , because it was really good, and it didn't take me too long to write a one-page, double-spaced paper. It gave me hope for my research paper too! It's amazing how quickly you can get a paper to two or three pages when every teacher wants it double-spaced. The research paper might not be as hard as I think :)

Although everything I wrote yesterday was pretty poorly done, but that's what I get for staying up all night to do it. I edited the first two pages but gave up and concluded that I'd just have to start all over.

Then it was lunch time so I reheated some of the leftovers from yesterday and read while I ate. My new book is all about a political upheaval in Renaissance Italy but it also has magic and drama and murder and _romance_ and it's really good! I wonder if Blake has read it before? I hope not, because it would be so cool to be the one to give _her_ a new book for once! :)

Anyway, after lunch I walked Zwei (it was really cold!) and when I got back Dad was pulling into the driveway. I hadn't noticed him leave – I thought he was just working in the basement or something – so I asked where he went and he said he made a quick trip to the grocery store. He made me help unload the groceries which annoyed me at first but when we were done he told me to close my eyes and hold out my hands and then he gave me a giant bucket of cookie dough! He said he could tell I was feeling down so he rushed over to the store while I was busy and got me something to cheer me up!

Dad is the best dad :)

We spent the next hour making cookies and talking about school and Mom and a little about Blake (because I mentioned how I wanted to take some cookies to Blake) and then we watched TV together and ate the little bit of cookie dough that was left at the edges of the bucket. It really made me feel better :)

Then I had to start getting ready for the football game so I ate some actual dinner (Dad said cookies didn't count) and showered and spent twenty minutes figuring out which outfit to wear but then remembered I'm just going to be wearing my coat the whole time so I just went with a sweater and jeans. I was still packing up all the stuff for my camera when I heard the doorbell ring and Zwei started barking so I rushed downstairs and put Zwei into Dad's room so Blake's allergies wouldn't act up and then I let her in and gave her a big hug and a small kiss. She said "I guess someone is feeling better?" and I laughed and said I was and then asked if she wanted anything to eat but she said we had to get to the stadium early so I just grabbed all my stuff (and some cookies!) and an extra pair of mittens and said bye to Dad and then got into the car with Blake.

It wasn't a long drive to school so we only talked about what to expect at the game. When we got there the parking lot was empty so we got a good spot and then walked to the gate. Blake showed the attendant the pass her teacher gave her so we got in and found a good spot at the fifty yard line and I started getting my camera set up. The benches were _freezing!_ I think we were only there for like five minutes before I was shivering and my teeth were chattering really loud but Blake thought it was funny so it wasn't really all that bad. Plus we sat really close together to stay warm which was nice :)

Other people started showing up after a little while and it started getting noisy so Blake and I couldn't talk to each other easily but then the game got started so we were too busy anyway. It was really cool to be so close to the game! Blake had to scold me because I got distracted by the game and wasn't focusing on taking pictures. It's not my fault the game was so entertaining! Luckily I got some really good pictures. It was hard trying to balance the color temperature between the stadium lights and the fading sunlight but I think when they print it'll come out okay.

During the downtime between plays I'd watch Blake and she'd be furiously scribbling into her notebook and I was amazed at how fast she could write. I guess I shouldn't have been, since she manages to keep up with Oobleck during class, but it was still impressive to see how much she could write about a single play. Then again, people say pictures are worth a thousand words... :)

When it was halftime I went to get us some hot chocolate from the concessions booth and Blake and I dipped the cookies I brought in it. It was great to have something to warm me up after sitting in the cold for so long. Since a lot of the people either went to get food or just plain left (I don't know why they did, there was still a whole other half of the game!) it was a lot quieter and Blake turned to me and asked, "Do you want to talk about yesterday?" and I asked what she meant and she said, "You know, about what happened with Weiss?"

Even though I'd been having a great day I still felt mad about that so I said, "No." Blake sighed and said "I know you're probably still mad at her, but she's your _best friend!_ I think you should apologize."

I grumbled and said that it was all her fault for being mean and _she_ should apologize first, but Blake just said, "That's not how it works, _especially_ with Weiss. Do you really think that _none of it_ was your fault?" and I shook my head because I knew it _was_ partly my fault and I said, "No, I started it, but I was just having a bad day! And she insulted me for being a lesbian! That really hurt me!"

Blake was like, "I know, believe me, and you can tell her that when you say you're sorry. But you also called her 'Ice Queen' and a bitch, and I know you know how much that hurts Weiss. You used to tell me how you hated that people called her that when she was so nice, and how they just didn't understand that she was super stressed."

I felt really guilty because I knew she was right and what she said made me think about what Weiss was probably doing at that moment and I felt even worse because she was probably alone, angry, and didn't have anyone like Blake to tell her that she messed up and needs to fix it. I gave Blake a kiss on the cheek and told her that she was too amazing. She just laughed and kissed me back, then stole one of my cookies :P

The rest of the game was pretty awesome and I got some great action shots. Our team won! Blake drove me home and we made plans to exchange copies of my pictures for her lab notes tomorrow and then she kissed me goodbye but before she left she made me promise I'd apologize to Weiss. I swore I would, cross my heart and hope to die :)

When I was going to my room to start going through my pictures I passed Yang's room and her door was open and I saw her changing out of her work outfit. There was a big purple bruise on her shoulder. I said, "Whoa, Yang, what happened? How'd you get that bruise?" and she turned around and looked a little surprised and said, "Oh, I slipped while carrying some dishes and hit my shoulder against a doorway. No big deal, but thanks for worrying! You're so cute." and she smiled at me then asked how my date with Blake was. I told her it wasn't a date but it went super well and then I left and worked on my pictures, then read more of my book.

I don't think Yang is telling me the truth, but I'm sure she'd tell me if something was wrong. It's probably nothing serious.

Today was a great day :)

XOXO :3

...

P.S. - There were some great pictures of Blake among all the one I took at the football game. I texted her the one I got of her face when one of the players got tackled a _little_ too close to us. She told me to delete it immediately, so naturally I sent it to Yang and Pyrrha. Five minutes later I got a text from Blake that said "You will pay for this." :)

...

P.P.S. - I was going to call Weiss and apologize but I think it would be best to do it face to face. She's probably busy anyway. And it's late. Actually, I'm probably just nervous about talking to her. What if she's still mad? Waiting is better. I think.

...

P.P.P.S. - Dad and Yang ate the rest of the cookies! Now we're out again :(

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	55. March 7th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Author's Notes:** I decided that getting to 600 followers was an achievement warranting another chapter. Thank you to everyone for reading!

And, dear Guest, if you really consider this story a "schlock fest" you are more than welcome to stop reading.

* * *

Today is Monday, March 7th.

It was really hard to get out of bed this morning. I was so busy this weekend doing all my homework and extra work and research work and lab work that it feels like I didn't even get a break from school at all! Not to mention that I knew I'd see Weiss in class today and I'd have to apologize for what happened on Friday, and that made me really anxious. But I also knew that it would be bad to wait around and let things fester so I forced myself to get up and get breakfast. Dad left a note that said that he forgot to put Zwei out so I sat on the back porch and ate my cereal while Zwei did his business. It was surprisingly warm today – thank goodness, because this weekend was so cold! I was a little disappointed I didn't have time to read the comics in the newspaper but I think the crisp morning air was worth it :)

It gave me a little time to think about what to say to Weiss.

After Zwei finished pooping and I finished breakfast we went inside and I took a shower and got ready for school. I was really proud of myself for getting my work done over the weekend, extra stuff and all! It wasn't easy, but I did it!

Yang and I had a great walk to school! She talked to me about motorcycles and her job and Neo and I talked to her about the football game on Saturday and photography and Blake. We got to school a little early too, which meant I had extra time to talk with Blake before History class :) She said the pictures I took turned out great and showed me a copy of the school newspaper and it had a picture I took right there on the front! I made the front page! I was super happy and gave Blake a big hug and kept a copy of the paper to show Dad when I got home.

History was pretty boring. We're almost done with our unit which means that there's going to be a test soon and we also have the research paper due next week (yikes!) but then after that it's Spring Break! :)

Anyway, I just copied the notes from off of Blake's notebook and then after class went up to Oobleck to turn in all the extra work. He glanced over it quickly (does he ever do things not-quickly?) and said that I did a really good job and that he hoped I'd "refrain from taking naps in class again". Then when I left he reminded me that if I wanted help with my research paper I could bring it in during my lunch period and he'd look over it. I'll probably do that.

English class was also pretty boring but that's my fault for reading ahead in the book. The upside is that when Mr. Port called on me to read I was ready and already knew what was happening so I did some funny voices for the characters and a lot of people in the class laughed, even Mr. Port!

After class I talked with Jaune and Pyrrha for a little bit. Pyrrha said she heard about what happened with Weiss on Friday and asked if I was okay and I said I was. I explained that it was partially my fault and that I was going to apologize today. Pyrrha said that she thought that was a good idea and wished me luck.

Yang got in trouble for texting again in Math class. It's pretty much routine now for the teacher to give her a detention about halfway through class. We got our test grades back and, like I thought, I did not do well. My first D- of the year. Dad's not going to be happy about that. I'm not happy about it. I'm going to need to work really hard to bring my grade back up by the end of the year. I have _no_ idea how Yang is going to pass with all these detentions :(

And then it was time for what I had been dreading all day: Science class. Blake was waiting for me outside the classroom and told me that Weiss was already in there. She laughed when I asked if it would be okay if I left and had her apologize for me and then she gave me a kiss and said, "Get in there," and pushed me inside. I gave her a dirty look but she just smiled back and mouthed "Good luck!" and gave me two thumbs up. Then I took a deep breath and sat next to Weiss.

She was working on something that looked important but kind of glanced at me out of the corner of her eye when I sat down. I said, "Hey, Weiss, how was your weekend?" to try and break the ice and be friendly and stuff but she just sniffed and kept working. But I knew I had to keep going so I said, "Weiss, I'm sorry for what I said on Friday. I shouldn't have said those things. I was really tired and in a bad mood and didn't mean to hurt you. I'm really, really sorry. Do you think we can be friends again?" and then I waited but Weiss didn't say anything back. She just kept writing and before I could ask if she heard me or if she accepted my apology the teacher came in and we started class. I was really worried that she was still mad at me but then after class was over Weiss grabbed all her stuff and started to leave and as she passed by me she said, "Apology accepted." but that was it. I talked to Blake about it and neither of us know if that means that Weiss is over it or if she's still mad but knows that I'm sorry about it.

It kind of makes me mad thinking about it. I'm trying to make amends and tell her I'm sorry but she won't even speak to me about it! Some best friend she is.

Lunch was pretty fun. Everyone was there (even Yang who was skipping detention) so we had a lot of awesome conversations about anything we could think of! Also it was pizza day, so that was great! We ate outside and enjoyed the sun and the warm wind, and I got a few pictures of Ren and Nora, and Pyrrha and Yang, and _definitely_ got a lot of Blake! She's so pretty :) She only caught me once and that's my favorite picture – she's looking at me and her eyes are smiling and she's sticking her tongue out at me and the sun is shining from straight above her so her hair is all lit up and in the background you can see Yang and Pyrrha laughing and pointing at the camera. It's another one of those pictures I'm going to print out and put on my wall and keep forever :)

And then after my last class when I was walking down the hall heading for the front of the school to meet up with Yang and Blake someone called my name. I looked around and _Coco Adel_ was standing there waving at me and beckoning me over and I got really excited because she's like the coolest girl in school so I tried to play it cool and walk over nonchalantly but I'm sure I was all jumpy and jittery and had a big stupid smile on my face but whatever. I asked what was up and Coco said, "You're Ruby Rose, right?" and I said yes and she said, "I saw the picture you took for the newspaper. Nice job." and I had to hold my breath so I didn't scream because that's super high praise and she's like the best photographer in the school (besides maybe Velvet) so I was freaking out. I said thanks and then Coco said, "You should hang out with us sometime." and then she gave me a piece of paper with her phone number on it and said bye and I ran outside and told Yang and Blake and they were both really happy for me.

We talked for a bit and then Yang had to leave for work and Blake said she needed to go home so I walked home and took some pictures of the trees that were starting to get their buds back and then I let Zwei out when I got home so he could poop and then I gave him his dinner. I didn't have a ton of homework to do so I watched videos about photography for a little while then got distracted with cat videos (like I always do) then I helped Dad make dinner. After that I did the bit of homework that I _did_ have and did some research for my paper until Yang got home. We watched TV while she ate and she told me about her day and all the annoying customers she had and what Neo made for her. I was really jealous because apparently Neo makes Yang all these fancy things like gourmet cupcakes and ice cream sundaes and stuff and I don't get any! I asked her to get some recipes so I can make things for Blake other than cookies.

It was a pretty good day, even if Weiss is still mad at me. I checked my phone every five minutes to see if she texted me anything, but the only message I had was from Blake that said "Goodnight, Ruby! ILY"

I hope Weiss decides to be my friend again. I had a lot of fun with her and I think it would be really sad if we stopped being friends over something so stupid.

Looking forward to tomorrow :)

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I texted Coco so she'd have my number and she texted me back asking if I wanted to hang out this Sunday! I told her I was supposed to take pictures at Weiss' tournament that day so I couldn't and she said "Bummer." but I'm not even sure if I'm still supposed to be doing that. If Weiss is mad at me, does she still want me to take pictures of her tournament? I'll ask tomorrow. I hope I get an answer.

...

P.P.S. - I almost forgot to show Dad my picture that was on the front page! He said he was super proud of me :)

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	56. March 11th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Author's Notes:** It's _The Ladybug Diary_ 's birthday! Thank you to everyone for reading!

* * *

Today is Friday, March 11th.

I had such a great day today! So many wonderful things happened!

The weather is totally perfect right now so I slept with my window open and I always sleep better with my window open and I love being able to wake up with the birds and the fresh, clean-smelling air, it just makes every morning better, even mornings when I have to go to school! I was full of energy this morning so as soon as I got up I went downstairs and got a bowl of cereal and ate outside on the porch while Zwei explored the yard and it felt awesome to be nice and warm in my pajamas while enjoying the softening chill, it just puts a big smile on my face! Yang came downstairs and sat with me and we traded pages of the comics section of the newspaper and waved to the neighbor boy who was walking to his bus stop at the end of the block and then I went inside to shower and get ready for school.

Since it was really nice out I wore my favorite skirt and a floofy white shirt with black stripes that I think is really cute and then my leggings and lucky boots because I had a history test today and I wanted to do well on it! I studied for an extra minute or two while I waited for Yang to get ready and then we walked to school together. We talked a little bit and I took a few pictures and I tried to take one of Yang but she kept hiding behind stuff and telling me not to take her picture, which was a little weird because she's never had a problem with me taking her picture before and she'd usually even strike a silly pose for me but I guess today she just wasn't feeling it. I still totally got one of her though :P

Blake was waiting for us in front of the school as usual and she looked SO CUTE today! She had these really cool boots on and black leggings that made me have to stop and catch my breath and a white sweater that looked really warm and then she also had that bow that she sometimes wears and is so super-duper adorable! I just couldn't stop myself from running up to her and giving her a big hug and a kiss and she smiled which made me smile and made my morning ten times better! She also said I looked cute, which made me do that embarrassed wiggle I always do, but she said that was cute too! Blake is the best :D

I went inside to get a drink and when I was on my way back I saw Blake and Yang sitting on a bench and Yang looked kind of down because she was staring at the ground and Blake had her hand on Yang's back and was talking to her but as soon as I opened the door and stepped outside they both looked at me and stood up and smiled again. I was going to ask what was wrong but the bell rang which meant that we had to get to class (and take Oobleck's test!). I tried asking Blake on our way to class but she said that it wasn't important and then quickly asked me a question from the study guide. I answered it and then asked her one and we traded questions until we got to class and sat down. I feel pretty good about how I did considering that Oobleck didn't even announce the test until Tuesday! It helps that Blake studied with me yesterday and she's like the perfect study partner!

English class wasn't super exciting today, but it wasn't bad either. Since we finished _The Odyssey_ last class Mr. Port said that we were going to write essays today that were worth a small portion of our grade, but I know that book so well now that those essays were a breeze! Greek mythology is cool by itself, and then all the reading in class and the extra work I had to do last weekend actually helped me a lot! Also I asked Blake for ideas when we studied yesterday, and she said she remembered doing those essays when she had Mr. Port for English and gave me a few tips :)

I only got to talk to Jaune for a little bit before Pyrrha showed up and dragged him off. They were giggling and talking about seeing a movie this weekend or something. I'm still waiting for Blake to take me on that amazing date she's been promising me for a little while – maybe I should just take her somewhere? I like the movie idea :) It would be so reminiscent of our first date :)

Yang looked a lot happier when I saw her in Math class today. She was texting Neo (again) but actually stopped when class started and she didn't even get a detention today! That's like the first time in a month, even the teacher was surprised she was paying attention! After class I asked her if she was feeling okay and she gave me a really confused look and said, "I feel fine, why?"and I just shrugged and said something about this morning but she waved that away and then I had to go to my next class.

As I walked to Science class I braced myself for a really difficult class. Weiss has been refusing to speak to me since she 'accepted' my apology on Monday, and our teacher likes to have labs on Fridays that require working in pairs so we can do the write-ups over the weekend, so I was expecting to have to copy off of Blake and Sun's work again this week. But, to my happy surprise, Weiss talked to me today! She waited until the teacher had handed out the labs and told us to start, but then when I was walking to our table carrying all the materials and stuff Weiss said, "Ruby? I'm... really sorry about how I've been acting this week. And about last week. I completely overreacted, and I should have noticed that you weren't acting yourself. It wasn't very... friendly, of me. I know I'm not the most... likable, person, and I feel terrible about how I've been treating the one person who has treated me like nothing other than a friend. I hope you can forgive me, and that we can be friends again." and I was so happy I squealed and gave her a big hug and she said, "Okay, that's enough, you dolt!" but she was totally smiling and happy too but then the teacher cleared his throat and told us to get back to the lab work. Everyone else in the class was looking at us but then went back to their work except for Sun and Blake who gave us both a thumbs-up!

We finished super quickly (because Weiss is so super smart) and then in the remaining class time worked out the details of the fencing tournament this Sunday. I'm so excited!

When I was heading out of class with Blake Sun called for me to wait for a second. I thought it was a little strange that he wanted to talk to me, especially after he said that it was "private". I told Blake that she should head to the cafeteria without me and try and get me a chocolate milk and after she left Sun said, "Hey Rubes, listen. Blake's birthday is next Sunday, and I'm trying to get a surprise party together for her. Do you think you could lend me a hand?" and after I said that I thought that that was a great idea he said "Awesome! I'll call you about it later." and then he took off down the same hallway that Weiss went down and I heard him say "Wait up Ice Queen!" and then I heard Weiss shout that only I could call her that :)

Lunch was a ton of fun! It was great to have Yang there and not in detention for the millionth time. She and Pyrrha and Nora had an arm-wrestling contest and then Yang challenged Blake but Blake just rolled her eyes and said it was stupid. When the period was about half over I remembered that I wanted to talk to Oobleck about my research paper so I left for his classroom. He read over what I had really quickly and gave me notes and it only took him like five minutes. It took me longer to walk to his room! When I got back to the cafeteria I saw that Yang still hadn't eaten her lunch and when I asked why she said she wasn't hungry. I asked if she was going to be hungry at work and she said that she'd just grab a snack or have Neo make her something, so I asked if maybe she could bring something Neo makes home, because the way she talks about what Neo can make always makes my mouth water.

On my walk home Sun called me to talk about Blake's surprise birthday party. He was like, "Are you sure you're alone? Blake has crazy good hearing." and I assured him that I was and then he detailed his plan. My part in all of it is to get Blake out of the house in the morning and keep her occupied for a few hours until he and her parents can get everything ready and then deliver her back and help make her day super special. I can't wait! It's going to be great!

When I got home I took Zwei for a walk and then got a snack and started working on my research paper. Oobleck's handwriting is kind of hard to read, but I figured most of it out! I'm going to be done so early! Dad got home a little late and looked really tired so I put a little extra effort into helping with dinner and then we watched TV together. He fell asleep, so I got him a pillow and blanket and did the dishes and then worked on my homework until Yang got home. She brought back some cupcakes that Neo made! They were super cool cupcakes, and tasted delicious! Yang even said I could have hers! Best sister ever!

Time for bed! I get tomorrow to relax, and then Weiss' fencing tournament on Sunday! It's going to be so much fun!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - I need to start thinking of a present for Blake! It's her eighteenth birthday, so it has to be something extra special and not just another book. I don't have any ideas right now, but I'm sure I'll think of something. And I can also ask all my friends!

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	57. March 13th

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

* * *

Today is Sunday, March 13th.

It was really fun hanging out with Weiss today! The fencing tournament was really cool and I got a ton of great pictures!

Weiss came to pick me up at _exactly_ nine thirty. She was worried about being late so she decided to text me at seven in the morning (waking me up) to remind me. I don't think I really needed a reminder, but it ended up working out because I couldn't get back to sleep so I just got up and had a lot of time to get my morning routine together. I ate breakfast and let Zwei out and got the table set up for Dad and Yang and then I showered and got dressed and got my camera equipment together and then let Zwei in and even packed a lunch by the time Weiss arrived!

They pulled up in front of the house in (of course) like the _newest_ car possible and I went out to meet them and climbed into the back seat. I said 'hi' to Weiss really quick and then went to say 'hi' to her mom or dad (whoever was driving us) but there was someone else driving! I was really surprised and I guess Weiss noticed because she said, "Ruby, this is Klein. He is a close family friend who offered to drive us since my parents are both busy." and I'm really glad she did that because I was so confused as to why there was a stranger driving Weiss around. I thought he was like a butler or something! Anyway, Klein and I introduced ourselves and he made a joke that was really funny and then we left for the tournament.

Klein said the tournament was about half an hour away so Weiss and I had a ton of time to talk! We started with the usual stuff, like school and homework, and I talked about Blake which reminded me to ask Weiss what Sun wanted to talk to her about on Friday. She said that he just wanted to invite her to the surprise birthday party, and that she accepted. I'll admit that I wanted it to be something different, but I'm still really glad that Weiss is coming to Blake's party! I asked what she was going to get her to see if her present would give me any ideas, but Weiss said that she doesn't know what to get Blake either! I'm running out of time _and_ options! I'm sure Blake would be fine with another book, but I want my present to be something special, since Blake is so special to me :)

Weiss and I were in the middle of talking about just getting Blake a giant plate of sushi (since she likes sushi so much) when Klein said we were here and we had to get ready. The tournament was in the gym of one of the high schools in another county, so we parked and grabbed our stuff and followed the signs to the gym. It looked about as big as Beacon's gym, but was also like eight times as crowded. I had no idea so many people were into fencing! There was a long line to sign in and then after signing in Weiss would have to change and stuff, so I left her and Klein to do that while I went and got set up in the 'stands', which were just the bleachers pulled out a bit.

I climbed to the top of the bleachers and sat down and started getting my camera ready. I had a pretty good vantage point on all the arenas (matches?) but I was really far away so I chose to go with my telephoto lens, but I wanted to have a greater depth of field so I went up a couple f-stops, but then it was too dark since I also had a high shutter speed so there wouldn't be as much motion blur, so I had to increase the gain a bit. The white balance was also a little tricky because the overhead lights were a different color temperature than the windows by the ceiling, but I think I can fix that. Once I was ready I started taking pictures to try it out. I got some of the people who were stretching to make sure the white balance was okay (it was 'okay'), and then I started taking some of Weiss because I remembered that that was why I was here! Weiss' parents wanted pictures of her competing which makes sense because I guess they knew they weren't going to be able to come. Anyway, I got some good ones of Weiss standing in line with Klein, and then after she had signed in and changed I took a few of her stretching. Weiss is really pretty. I caught a few people staring at her :)

Then the matches started and I had to make sure I was paying attention for when Weiss was called and where she was going to be. I had a small problem because people started to crowd around the arenas so I couldn't get as good of a shot so I ended up moving around a lot, which was fine except I had to keep changing focus :(

When it was Weiss' turn to compete I had to move _a lot_. I wanted to get a lot of different angles of her so I had to push my way through the crowd or stand on my tiptoes and hold the camera over my head to be able to take her picture. I got some great action shots though, and I discovered something new: Weiss is _AMAZING_ at fencing! She beat all of her opponents in her first group, and then again in the singles stage. Only one person scored a point on her, and it was really just a lucky shot. It was so cool! She made it all the way to the finals!

She didn't win though, which makes me kind of sad. The other finalist was this huge guy (bigger than Dad!) and he just had so much reach on her (Weiss is kind of short). She danced around him a ton but he just blocked everything and then scored on her. It was really disappointing, and I could tell Weiss was upset but she still managed to put on a convincing smile when she stood with her trophy. I mean, second place is still really good! I'm proud of her, even if she's not happy with it.

After that we packed up and went out to lunch, so it was pretty pointless of me to make my lunch this morning! We went to a pretty nice small restaurant (a bunch of the other fencers were there too) and the food was really good! I had an extra-delicious burger :)

When we were driving back home Weiss and I talked about the tournament for a little bit and I showed her some of the pictures I took. I don't really remember what we were talking about but I mentioned that Coco Adel had complimented my photos and gave me her phone number and Weiss suddenly got really stiff. I was like "What's wrong?" and Weiss said, "You shouldn't hang out with her." and when I asked why she said, "You remember when I had my... problem?" and she mimed taking a pill (because I guess she didn't want Klein to know) and I was like "Yeah..." and Weiss whispered, "Coco was my _dealer_. Don't hang out with her." and I said I wouldn't.

It was pretty shocking, to be honest. I can't really think of Coco – or anyone at Beacon – dealing drugs. I thought Weiss had stolen those pills from her family. Everyone I know (except for Weiss now, I guess) thinks that Coco is super cool. I can't think of any reason not to believe Weiss, but I also can't shake the feeling that Coco isn't a dealer. I'm really confused. And even after Weiss told me that, there's still a part of me that wants to hang out with Coco. She's just such a great photographer and a really cool person and I want to be both those things!

Anyway, I changed the subject and we talked about presents for Blake until we got back to my house and they dropped me off. I started editing the pictures as soon as I could and worked until it was dinner time! Dad made some amazing tacos, and only one fell on the floor for Zwei! Yang ate really fast and said she had a project to work on, so she left early. I worked on the photos a bit more then texted Blake a little until it was dessert time. I asked Yang if she wanted any when I walked by her door but she said she didn't.

Now it's time for bed! School tomorrow!

I bet Weiss' parents are going to love the pictures!

XOXOXO :3

…

P.S. - Why can't I think of anything for Blake? She likes books, sushi, journalism, writing, activism, cats, the color purple, being awesome, and being super gorgeous and sweet. Surely I can think of something that falls into _one_ of those categories!

P.P.S. - Dear Future Ruby, this is 3am Ruby. Cookie-scented pen with purple ink. It's perfect. Also, no more ice cream right before bed.

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	58. March 18th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Disclaimer II:** _There is content in this chapter that requires a **mature attitude**._ **  
**

 **Disclaimer III:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is purposefully dramatized._

* * *

Today is Friday, March 18th.

Today was an... interesting day. A lot of interesting things happened, and I haven't really decided how I want to feel about them yet. I'm just really happy today is _over_ and now it's spring break! Goodness was I ready for a break. All I want to do is sleep and eat and watch TV but there's still so much to do! Blake's birthday is coming up and Weiss invited me to her parents' beach house and Dad wants to go camping and Nora wants to have a big party and I want to do all those things but there's not enough time! It's almost like break is busier than school!

I was really excited for school today, which sounds weird but was true, because Coco texted me yesterday telling me to bring my camera and that we'd hang out after school! I thought about saying 'no' for a little bit because of what Weiss told me about Coco, but I figured that if anything happened I would just leave, so it was okay.

I had some of Dad's cereal this morning and it had raisins in it, which was pretty gross, but I was feeling too lazy to go get a new box of my cereal from the basement so I powered through. I set out a bowl for Yang but when she came down all she had was a banana. She didn't even put the bowl back so I had to. Sometimes she's so lazy, but then again I'm lazy too so I guess I shouldn't be mad at her for that. But since she didn't have cereal she beat me to the shower while I was letting Zwei out to poop and then she used most of the hot water!

I triple checked that my research paper was in my backpack before we left for school. There was no way that after all the work I put into it I was going to forget it on the day it was due! I even had a dream about it last night. Blake was waiting for us in front of the school and Yang and I walked with her to the cafeteria because the school was having some kind of celebration breakfast for the students so a bunch of parents had brought food in. There were bagels and donuts and cereal and muffins – I was so mad that I'd already eaten, but I grabbed a few things to eat at lunch :) Yang left right away but I saw her grab a donut. I guess she remembered that there was going to be a breakfast thing today so she didn't fill up at home. I wonder why she didn't remind me?

Blake looked really cute eating a bagel and I took a picture of her :)

History class was great! Since it was the last day before spring break _and_ the day we had to turn in our research papers, Mr. Oobleck just put on a documentary for us to watch. He even said that the 'material' wouldn't be on the test! It was a basically a party, so Blake and I got to talk in the back. I got a few ideas about what to get her for her birthday, although my pen idea is still 'plan B'!

I expected there to be another party-like class in English, but instead Mr. Port had us write essays about the few short stories we read this week. That would have been fine, but we were tight on time because he decided to preface the essays with a lecture about connections between literature and modern events, and then the lecture devolved into him just telling us stories about his kids. Which I would have enjoyed if it didn't cut into our essay writing time! I was late to Math because I was trying to finish my essay!

Our teacher gave us a surprise quiz. She's so mean! All everyone can think about is spring break but she keeps ruining the mood :(

Blake and I met up in the hallway and then walked to Science class together. When we walked in Sun and Weiss were sitting next to each other talking quietly but as soon as they saw me and Blake they split up and Sun went to his seat in the back. Blake and I looked at each other like "What was that about?" and then went to our seats. I asked Weiss what she was talking to Sun about and she said "He asked for my help getting stuff ready for Blake's party. We're going to go to the mall after school to buy the decorations, and I'm hoping he'll help me come up with an idea for a gift". Then she asked me if I'd figured out what to get Blake and I said I hadn't, but I told her that if she saw anything at the mall that she thought Blake would like she should buy it for me. She rolled her eyes but she also smiled, which is good because it was a joke :)

Probably the _best_ thing about today happened on the way to lunch. Blake and I were walking out of Science together and we stopped in the hallway to talk with Sun for a little bit, and then – I don't remember what we were talking about – Blake and I kissed for only like a second, but Ms. Goodwitch (who came out of _nowhere_ ) said, "Not in the hall, girls..." and then Sun said, "That's bullshit. Why can't they make out in the hallway if you and Officer Ironwood can do it in the copy room?"

I thought she was going to incinerate him on the spot. Sun apparently thought so too, because he said, "Gotta go, catch you guys later!" and then bolted. Ms. Goodwitch just slowly trotted after him, and as soon as we couldn't hear her heels anymore Blake and I burst out laughing. We rushed to the cafeteria as fast as we could to tell everyone about what happened. Everyone couldn't believe it, and we all texted Sun "RIP".

After school we all met up again in front of the school. Sun said Ms. Goodwitch gave him two days of in-school suspension :( Then he and Weiss left for the mall and Yang started walking to work and Blake kissed me goodbye and told me that she'd text me later. Jaune and Pyrrha drove off somewhere, Ren and Nora said they were going to get frozen yogurt, and I had agreed to meet Coco by the gym entrance.

Coco and Velvet were already there when I showed up. I apologized but they said it was okay and then we went to Coco's car. She said she had a great spot in mind where we could take pictures, but it was too far away to walk. Coco's car is really cool – I sat in the back – but she drove really fast and the seat kind of smelled funny. We went to a part of town that I'm not super familiar with and got out near a park. Coco said this was one of her favorite places to take pictures since not many people came through the park. We walked until I couldn't see the streets anymore and then Coco said "This way," and we went through a tiny path in the trees and came out into this small clearing that had a really old picnic table. It was really picturesque, because there was this break in the trees that let the fading sunlight in and the picnic table was a nice color and the leaves were just starting to bud on the trees. I started to get my camera ready but Coco told me to just wait for a minute.

I was a little confused until she pulled the bag and lighter out of her backpack, then I realized that it was also a pretty good smoking spot since there wasn't a way for anyone to easily spot us. Coco smoked first and passed it to Velvet who passed it to me, but I said I didn't want it. Coco said, "Don't like weed? I have other stuff if you want that?" but I said I didn't want it and she just said, "Okay." I waited while they smoked until Coco said, "So you and Blake Belladonna are a couple, huh?" and I said yes and she said, "Cool. She's a real hottie. Have you banged yet?"

Velvet looked as shocked as I felt that she asked that, and tried to change the subject but Coco just waved her off. She said, "I take that as a 'no', huh? Why not? You've been together for months! My first boyfriend and I did it on our third date! Even Velvs and Yatsu did it after like, what, five weeks, right?" and Velvet just covered her face. I couldn't really think of anything to say. I was really embarrassed. Coco just kept saying how weird it was that we hadn't had sex and how much fun it was until finally Velvet got her to stop. I really wanted to leave but I didn't really know where I was and Coco drove me here and I didn't want her to know how uncomfortable I was in case she thought I wasn't being 'cool'. Then Coco said, "Well do you at least send each other dirty pics?" and Velvet told her to leave me alone and just start taking pictures but I guess I did something or made a face that really interested her because she said, "Want to take some? Velvet and I know some tricks. Everyone's doing it. I'm telling you, Blake'll love it!"

I wanted to run away and hide. If I knew where I was I would have said that I had to go because I forgot I needed to take care of Zwei or because Dad had some urgent chore I needed to do, but I was stuck. Thank goodness Velvet was there because she said, "We can't do that, Coco, she's only fifteen! We'll get in trouble. Let's just take the pictures and go home. It's break!" and Coco sighed and said okay. I thought everything was going to be smooth sailing from then on, but then they explained that Coco had her own 'modeling' website and wanted my help with the pictures. I asked why they needed help – I thought Coco modeled and Velvet was the photographer – and they said that they were going to try it with _both of them_ in the picture. I was still kind of on board (really though I just wanted to go home) until Coco told me to try and not get excited. That kind of offended me, so when I was setting up my camera I sneakily sent a text to Dad asking him to call me in like ten minutes.

He didn't call for half an hour, and it was a really long half hour. I took a lot of pictures of Coco and Velvet. It pains me to admit it, but I did get a little excited. I couldn't help it! Coco and Velvet are like two of the prettiest people in school! I told myself to focus only on the artistic aspect, and that helped me concentrate.

When Dad finally called we were pretty much done anyway, it gave me an excuse to say that I needed to get home as soon as possible. Coco was actually really cool about it, and we left really quick. She offered me some more drugs in the car, but I just said 'no thanks' again. They dropped me off at the corner of my street and asked me to send them the pictures, but I just gave them the card from my camera. Velvet asked if I was sure I didn't need it, but I said that I had another one. I do, but the one I gave them has all my other pictures on it. There's nothing I'll need for a week, and it's better than risking Yang finding today's pictures on my computer. As soon as I walked in the door Dad asked why I asked him to call me. He also asked why I smelled funny, and I nearly had a heart attack. Thank goodness he didn't press it too much and just made a joke about how much I need a shower, because I didn't really want to tell him I was out in the woods with people smoking pot. I don't really want to tell anyone about what I did today.

After that I went upstairs and changed into my pajamas and started reading but I fell asleep. I woke up just in time for dinner (mac and cheese!) then watched some TV with Dad and played with Zwei and then went back to my room and watched cat videos. Cat videos always relax me. Then Blake texted me so I talked with her for a little while and I set up 'the plan' to get her out of the house on her birthday. We're going to go to the art museum! I'm excited :)

Yang came home while I was getting myself some ice cream (even though I told myself never again). I asked if she wanted any mac and cheese but she said she ate at work and wasn't hungry. That was pretty weird, because Yang _loves_ mac and cheese, but she just went up to her room, and when I passed by later her light was off. I wonder what's bugging her. I wonder if it's Neo? Maybe it was just a bad day at work. I wonder if Yang sends Neo pictures? I don't want to think about that.

I texted Weiss to ask if she and Sun found any good presents for Blake, but she never got back to me. I thought about telling her about hanging out with Coco, but decided I didn't need a big 'I told you so' message. If I learned anything from today, it's that Coco is not my idea of 'cool'. Oh well. Velvet seems mostly okay though.

It's time for bed! Spring break means I get to sleep in all I want :)

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - Weiss texted me back and said that she had a lot of fun with Sun and that she got me something to give Blake. Best best friend forever ever!

...

P.P.S. - Coco texted me saying that we should hang out over break. I think I'm going to be busy that day.

...

P.P.P.S. - I took a picture. I didn't send it though. I just couldn't stop thinking about it, so I went into the bathroom and took my shirt off and took a picture of myself. I know Blake's seen me in my underwear already, but there's a huge difference between that and naked. At least to me there is. I kept hearing Coco's voice saying "Everyone's doing it" over and over but then it turned into Dad's voice saying "If everyone jumped off a bridge would you too?" and that just made me laugh so I went back to bed.

P.P.P.P.S. - I'm having trouble falling asleep. Coco and Velvet were so comfortable talking about sex – and having it, if they were telling the truth – but I still feel nervous about it. I don't know why exactly, because everyone says it's fun and I'm all about having fun, but it's just... such a big concern. Blake told me she wouldn't ever pressure me, but that doesn't mean she isn't waiting for it. Have I been making her wait for too long? I know she loves me, and I know that I feel so beautiful when she looks at me, and I know that she'd never want me to be uncomfortable. Maybe it's time. I don't feel completely ready, but maybe it's one of those things where you just have to do it before you can think too much about it. I'm just worried about something going wrong. What if Blake... doesn't like it? What if I don't like it but she does? That could put a big wall between us. What if I do something wrong?

What if it hurts?

I'm getting nervous just thinking about it. I need to stop if I ever want to get to sleep tonight.

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	59. March 20th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized.  
_

 **Author's Notes:** Changes were made to the previous chapter on 1/3/17 thanks to constructive criticism from **Gorsouul**. Special thanks to **Minesniper** for the gift suggestions.

* * *

Today is Sunday, March 20th.

Maybe now that I've baked two dozen cookies and ripped out three pages of my diary in a fit of rage I'll be calm enough to actually write down what happened today.

Today was Blake's birthday, and I made sure to wake up extra early so I could get everything ready for our special date to the art museum. I ate breakfast and let Zwei out, then talked with Dad for a little bit. After that I cleaned my dishes and made some lunches for Blake and myself so we wouldn't have to spend any money at some overpriced food stand by the museum. Homemade sandwiches taste better anyway :)

Then I showered and got dressed. It was nice and warm today so I got to wear one of my dresses, but I brought my lucky boots just in case! I was a little worried I'd look weird, but when I asked Yang she said I looked fine. It was also a little windy so I took a light jacket that goes perfectly with the dress I chose :)

Blake texted me around 9 that she was coming to get me, so I gathered together all my stuff and the sandwiches and put it into my backpack and then read the newspaper while I waited for her to show up. There was an interesting article about a new restaurant opening up downtown – I'll have to see if Blake will take me there sometime soon ;)

As soon as I saw her car pull up I could feel my whole body fill with giddiness. I rushed to the door but then remembered that she was allergic to Zwei so I rushed back and practically threw him outside – he looked so confused – then zipped back to the front door just as she was coming in and I leaped onto her and gave her a big kiss and told her happy birthday! We fell over and I felt bad for a second because I thought I'd hurt Blake, but she just burst out laughing and hugged me and kissed me back and told me "Thank you, Ruby!" so I think I'm okay.

Dad came out of the dining room and Yang came down from her room and the four of us talked for a little bit until I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 10. Sun wanted me to bring Blake back around 1 for the party, and I was worried we'd make people wait for too long if we didn't get to the museum soon, so I told Blake we should leave. She was a little curious about why I was so impatient but I played it off like I was worried about traffic.

It was a good thing I made her leave, because the traffic was _awful_. It reminded me why I don't really like going into the city for anything. What should have been a fifteen minute drive turned into a _forty-five minute_ drive because no one knows how to merge around here! And there was _no_ parking and since it was nice out there were so many pedestrians that couldn't seem to understand how lights and crossings work – I wanted to pull my hair out! I think normally I would have been okay with it, because it would have meant that I'd get to spend extra time with Blake, but we were _on a schedule_ so it just made me upset. It _was_ pretty fun listening to Blake yell at everyone though. I wish I'd had my camera so I could have gotten a picture of her face.

The art museum was so so so so great! My favorite part was obviously the photography section, but I thought the sculpture and painting areas were cool too! I think Blake had fun too, which was the important part. I think we walked down every hallway and looked at everything on display. I took a few pictures with my phone of Blake standing next to some of the paintings and she got some of me by the sculptures. A lot of the exhibits gave me ideas for photography projects. We stopped for lunch around 12:30 and ate in this little courtyard area. There were a ton of pigeons and they all started swarming near us after Blake gave them some of the crust from the sandwich I made her. Blake said my sandwich was really good :) I joked that I couldn't tell because she gave so much of it to the pigeons! After lunch we looked at the last few sections of the museum and then I got a text from Sun that said he was ready for us so I told Blake that maybe we should head back. She said she was fine with that as long as we got a souvenir first, so before we left we both got one of those squished penny mementos. I have a few, but Blake said she really likes them and gets them whenever she can.

Traffic was a lot better the way back, so we were back in our neighborhood pretty fast. I was trying to think of some way to subtly ask Blake if we could go back to her house first so that she didn't suspect that anything was going on, but before I could think of anything Blake suggested it herself! She said that her parents were both home "for once" and that she thought it was the perfect time for me to get to meet them. I said yes of course because I wanted to meet her parents and also because it was the perfect excuse to go to Blake's house! I texted Sun so he knew we were almost there.

When we pulled into her driveway I was trying my hardest not to act like anything was happening but it was really hard because I was so excited to see the decorations and Blake's face when we walked in and everyone was there. Blake even asked if there was something bothering me, but I just said I was kind of hungry. She was halfway through saying that we could go get something to eat when we opened the door and everyone shouted 'surprise!'.

It was _so_ funny watching Blake. She jumped straight up and hugged me and gasped all at the same time I couldn't help but burst out laughing and then we fell down because she was holding onto me and I couldn't stand because of how hard I was laughing. Blake's face was bright red and she was looking at everyone in surprise – I'm so glad her mom got a picture of her! Everyone was there – Sun, Yang, Weiss, Nora, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, Sage, Scarlet, a bunch of her neighbors, her parents, and a couple guys in suits who looked like her parents' work friends. The house looked great too, Sun and Yang did an amazing job decorating it! There were balloons and streamers and pictures of Blake from when she was a baby all the way to this year's school picture and there were games and a big table with food and drinks on it and tons of chairs and a big pile of presents in the corner – I saw the one I wrapped there, which was a relief. I kept having this worry that Yang wouldn't bring it or that it would get lost or something.

I went and stood with Yang and Sun and Weiss while Blake greeted everyone. I was in the middle of telling them about the art museum when Blake suddenly grabbed me and dragged me away to meet her parents. Her dad is like the tallest person I've ever seen, and he has a huge beard. I was super intimidated at first, but then he smiled and shook my hand and asked how my leg was doing and how school was going and made a joke that made Blake groan and I totally relaxed. Blake's mom is soooo pretty, and Blake looks _just_ like her. She gave me a hug and told me how nice it was to finally meet me after hearing so much about me from Blake (which also made Blake groan) then told me to have fun at the party. They are such great people :)

Someone turned on music and I grabbed Blake and we went back to our friends and started playing some card games and eating some of the food. Blake's parents went out to the patio with all the other adults and I guess they talked about adult stuff. It was so much fun! We got stuck in one card game for over two hours (just one game!) and then everyone was tired of cards so we played some board games that Sun brought that everyone got really into and I completely lost track of time. Around six the grown-ups came back inside and Blake's mom said it was time for presents so everyone gathered in the living room and Yang passed all the presents to Blake for her to open. The first few gifts made me really nervous about mine because they all looked so expensive and like they took a lot of thought.

Her parents gave her a laptop (for projects) and a bunch of really gorgeous jewelry that I could instantly tell would look beautiful on her and a Menagerie State University sweater, Sun gave her a unique-looking teacup that was apparently part of some inside joke between him and Blake because it made her laugh really hard, her neighbors signed her up for a bunch of journalism and really popular magazines that Blake seemed excited about, Yang gave her a pair of super cute boots that she said Blake liked one time they went to the mall together, and Weiss gave her a _very_ nice notebook and a prepaid card for Blake's favorite restaurant. Then she opened my gift (a sushi cookbook that Weiss told me about when she shopped with Sun) and I felt a little bad. I didn't spend as much time (or money) on Blake's gift as much as the others had, so it kind of felt like I didn't try as hard or care as much. Blake said she loved it, but I still feel bad. Everyone who came after me gave her little things (Ren gave her tea to match the teacup) or money or gift cards, so I definitely don't think mine was the _worst_ (how silly to compete over this), but it obviously wasn't the best.

After that we went back to playing games but Blake's mom made her come out and spend some time with the adult guests. I got up to go get a drink and Weiss came with me and I mentioned to her how I felt kind of bad, and she said, "Well you could always give her something else." and I asked what she meant and she said, "You know, what couples do on special days." and then she leaned in and whispered, "Birthday sex."

I remember I kind of froze for a second as I thought about it. My first thought was "How cliché." but then I started actually considering it. I kind of felt like it was the right time, but also awkward. I thought that maybe Blake was expecting it, but that thought didn't line up with how she specifically brought me to her house to meet her parents. I finally made up my mind and snapped back into reality and told Weiss that I didn't think that that was the best idea. I think she was genuinely trying to help me, and I don't blame her or anything for suggesting it (though it was kind of awkward), but it really isn't any of her business.

Then everyone came back inside and Blake's mom brought out the cake and everyone sang and Blake blew out the candles and we clapped and cheered. The cake was so good. Blake's mom made it, and it was like the most perfect cake I've ever had. I kept trying to get Yang to have some but she said she overate the other food. She doesn't know what she missed. I feel like I'll be craving that cake for the rest of my life. Maybe if we get the recipe Yang can have Neo make it for us? That would be great! But Blake's mom probably guards that recipe like I guard Mom's cookie recipe, so I doubt there's a chance.

Anyway, the groups split back up into adults and kids and we were hanging out in the living room eating cake and talking when there was a knock on the door. Blake said she'd get it and skipped over to the door and I didn't really pay any attention to it until I heard her say "What are you doing here?". She sounded upset – maybe even scared, now that I think about it – so I immediately stopped talking and turned around to see what was going on. Out of the corner of my eye I think I saw Yang look up too. There was some guy standing in the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers. He was pretty tall (taller than Sun but not as tall as Blake's dad) and had reddish hair and was pretty dressed up. I heard him say "Your parents invited me. We're old friends, don't you remember?" and then he kind of pushed his way in and handed Blake the flowers and said, "Happy birthday, babe," and then he _kissed her on the cheek!_

Blake looked like she was going to be sick so I stood up and went over to her and asked her if she was okay. She said, "I'm, I'm fine, Ruby, thanks. This is Adam." so I put on my best fake smile and said "Hi, I'm Ruby". I remembered what Blake told me about him back in February, and it was so hard to not start screaming at him. Adam just kind of nodded back at me. Blake said she was going to go put the flowers in some water and left, and I was going to follow her but Adam grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me back around.

Right before I could ask why he thought he could touch me he said, "I know you _think_ you're Blake's girlfriend, or whatever, but that's a complete lie. She doesn't like you, you know. See, she loves me, and I love her. We were _made_ for each other. Queers like you are disgusting, so don't be surprised if she leaves you. It's just a matter of time until Blake comes to her senses and realizes that I'm perfect for her. She'll dump you and come crawling back to me, begging for me to love her again. And I won't make it easy for her – she'll have to do everything I say, serve me like a good girl – before I decide I'll take her back. Sorry, but it's just the truth. Blake needs a _man_ , not a short, stupid dyke."

I was so angry I was shaking. He said all that with a _smile_ on his face, like it made him happy to demean and insult Blake like that. Before I knew what I was doing I slapped him right in the face.

For some reason I thought it would be like in the movies, where the guy just kind of sits there and stares and rethinks his life and the girl walks away. It was not like that. Adam slapped me back, hard enough that I saw stars and fell down. I heard Blake shout, "Ruby!" and then she picked me up and asked Adam what was going on and Adam said, "Teaching the stupid queer cunt to keep her hands to herself."

Blake started yelling and tried to push Adam out but he shoved her too and she slammed into a wall. She started crying, and then Sun and Yang came over and started shouting at Adam and Adam just shouted at them back and then Sun punched him so Adam punched him back and they just started fighting and Yang was trying to pull Sun off Adam but only so she could punch him and then Blake's dad _exploded_ into the house and bellowed, "What's going on?!". He ripped Sun off Adam and said, "What are you doing, you grimy little miscreant?!" but Blake said, "It wasn't him, Dad, it was Adam!" Her dad looked really surprised for a second, then just pointed toward the door and told Adam, "Out."

Adam didn't look sorry that he had leave.

I hate him. I don't hate anything – not even broccoli – but I _hate_ Adam Taurus. Fuck him. Fuck him right in his stupid, asshole, sexist, bigoted face!

After that everyone was kind of in low spirits. Blake was crying, Yang was checking up on Sun, no one else really knew what to say or if it was okay to say anything. Blake's dad sighed and went outside and then all the neighbors and everyone came in and said bye and told Blake 'happy birthday' again. All our friends then came over and said bye and left too. I wanted to stay and make sure Blake was okay but Yang was leaving and she was my ride home, so I told Blake to call me later and she said she would.

The drive home was pretty quiet. The only two times Yang and I spoke was when she asked me if I was okay and I said I was, and then later she said that she was sure everything was okay and that Blake probably really liked my present and everything I did for her. It made me feel a little better about today. When we got back home I let Yang explain what happened to Dad while I started making cookies. I needed to calm down. Dad came into the kitchen to check if I was okay and he tried to talk to me about what happened but I told him I just wanted to make cookies. He left and I put on my headphones and listened to music while I baked. When it got late and I ran out of cookie dough I went upstairs with some of the cookies and tried to read a book or watch videos to distract myself but I couldn't stop being angry so I ended up just waiting for Blake to call me.

She called me around midnight, and sounded really tired. I asked how she was feeling and she said she was okay, just tired and worried that people were worried about her. She said she felt bad about what happened and hope that I was okay, so I told her I was fine and that she shouldn't feel bad because what happened wasn't her fault. I wanted to keep talking to her so I could make sense of what happened and _why_ it happened, but Blake sounded so exhausted and sad, I knew I should stop. I told her I was sorry, I told her happy birthday, and I told her I loved her. She said thanks and that she loved me too and then we hung up.

I'm still so angry. Fuck Adam for ruining Blake's birthday. Fuck him for making Blake feel this way. I hope he dies.

Tomorrow I'm going to take some cookies to Blake and give her a big hug and make sure she knows how much I love her.

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	60. March 21st

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized._ **  
**

 **Disclaimer III:** _There is content in this chapter that requires a mature attitude._ **  
**

 **Disclaimer IV:** _This chapter sucks._

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Today is Monday, March 21st.

So much of today is a blur.

I think my body is still on my school schedule even though my mind knows that it's Spring Break and I've turned off all my alarms because I woke up early today without really meaning to, and even though I went to bed really late last night I didn't feel tired. As soon as I opened my eyes I sat up and threw off my covers and got out of bed and stretched and opened the blinds. It felt really automatic. I didn't notice that it was only seven in the morning until I was downstairs eating breakfast and Dad walked into the dining room and asked me what I was doing up when I didn't have school. There was like this weird moment where I just stopped what I was doing (putting cereal in my mouth) and stared at him, and then I was like "Oh yeah. Can you drive me to Blake's?" and Dad was like "Sure, but you have to be ready in half an hour" because he had to leave for work. I had to move really quickly because it normally takes me longer than half an hour to do the rest of my morning routine and I also needed to get the cookies ready for Blake, but I finished just in time! It was close, and I cut a few corners (didn't shampoo my hair) but I climbed into the car right as Dad fired it up. I think he was joking when he said he was going to leave without me :)

On the ride over Dad said he wanted to talk to me about what happened at Blake's party, which I totally saw coming because I was so mad yesterday, so we talked about that for a bit. He said that Yang told him the major points, but he wanted my version to see how it compared and to make sure I was okay. I told him what happened with Adam and what he said about Blake and me and how I slapped him. Dad said he was a little disappointed to hear that I slapped Adam. He said "I'm very, very proud of you for standing up for Blake and for yourself, but acting impulsively like that, and violently, usually only leads to more trouble." I asked him what I should have done, and he said, "In this situation, you could have walked away. You could have ignored him. Ignorance, and hate, have no power if no one listens to it." but since I _know_ that doesn't work all the time (thanks, Cardin) I asked what I should do when even _that_ doesn't work, and Dad looked at me (we were at a stop sign) and said, "Then you can hit them, and hit them so hard that they'll never mess with you again." and I couldn't help but laugh. It just didn't sound like Dad at all! And then he said "And if I ever see that Adam kid, I'm going to knock him to the ground." and that was so totally un-Dad-like that I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. I was crying laughing and then Dad started laughing and then the car behind us honked because we were taking so long at the stop sign and that just made us laugh harder. When we finally calmed down and crossed the road Dad asked me about the rest of the party because he said it was good to remember the good things about the party, instead of just the bad things. I love my dad :)

It didn't take us long after that to get to Blake's house. I got out of the car and waved bye to Dad and then I walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Blake's mom opened the door after about a minute and I said "Hi, Mrs. Belladonna!" and she looked confused for a second and then was like, "Oh, Ruby! Hi, come in!" and I went inside and took off my shoes. I asked Blake's mom if Blake was home and if she wanted a cookie and she said, "Blake's upstairs in her room, and I'd love a cookie!" so I gave her one and she said it was really good. Then she said that she had to leave for work but I was welcome to stay as long as I wanted and that there was leftover food and cake in the refrigerator if I got hungry. I told her 'thanks' and then she smiled and left.

I didn't really know what to do and I felt pretty awkward just standing around in the living room, so I went upstairs to see Blake. Her door was closed so I knocked and I heard Blake say, "Go away, Mom!" and I thought it would be funny if I pretended to be her mom so I lowered my voice and said, "How dare you use that tone with your mother!"

There was a little pause and then I heard Blake say, "Ruby?" and then I heard her walking to the door. She opened it up just a little bit and was like, "What are you doing here Ruby?" and I gave her a big smile and held up the cookies and told her I was there to cheer her up and hang out! Blake was like "Okay..." and let me in. Blake went back to her bed and sat down and I went to the other side of the room and put the cookies on the desk and took the chair. Blake was still in her pajamas and her hair was all messed up and her eyes looked really tired so I thought that I'd just woken her up and felt bad, but when I asked her about it Blake said she'd been up for a little while reading.

We both just kind of sat there for awhile. I don't think either of us really knew what we wanted to say to each other. I'd said I was there to cheer her up, but Blake looked like she'd rather have been left alone, and I didn't want to bother her if she was already feeling low. I can't really pretend that I know how it feels to have something like what happened yesterday happen to me, and whenever I'm sad I get really annoyed by happy people. I was just about to ask Blake if I should come back later when she said, "I'm sorry about yesterday." and she sounded so, _so_ upset. I stood up and walked to the bed and gave her a hug, and I said, "I'm not. I had a lot of fun." and Blake was like, "You're not angry? You sounded really mad on the phone yesterday."

I told her that I was never _ever_ angry at _her_ – I was mad at Adam for ruining her party and making her feel bad. Then she said, "But it's my fault he was even there! I should have known he'd show up, and then I didn't even have the strength to keep him out! I let him walk in!" but then I said that she needed to stop and that it wasn't her fault, and I said (quoting Dad) that we should remember the good things that happened, not just the bad. That almost made her smile :)

But then I said, "How'd you even meet a crazy person like him? And why did your Dad take _his_ side and not Sun's?" and that tiny smile was gone :(

Blake groaned and lay back on her bed and covered her eyes and said, "It's a long story." so I lay down next to her and said that she should know from all the books she gives me that I love long stories. Blake kind of half-laughed and said that I probably deserved to know.

She said that she met Adam because her parents used to work really closely with his parents. Her Mom is a member of the boards for a couple charities and her Dad is an executive director for a high-profile non-governmental organization, so they're both really involved with making decisions and spend a lot of time at work, but they also get to meet a lot of people. During a meeting or a party or something her parents brought her along and Adam was the only other young person there, so they hung out. Blake said that the only thing she really remembers talking about was how they both thought that there was something wrong with the world and they wanted to change it (that's one of the reasons I love her), and that Adam told her about this online community called "The White Fang".

Blake said she checked it out and she liked it – she said it was all about calling attention to injustice and fighting for equality – and then the next time she saw Adam and they talked about it he said he was a member and wanted her to join too. Blake was like, "Of course I joined, it sounded so cool and noble and I felt like I was going to make a difference." and then at the same time Adam asked her out.

When I asked her what changed, Blake stopped for a second and then said, "I learned. And I met Sun." She said that once she decided she wanted to be a journalist when she grew up she started taking journalism courses and began to notice things about The White Fang. She said, "It was all so heavily biased, and that isn't true journalism. That wasn't the type of journalist I wanted to be. I want to get the facts first and make a decision after, not find facts that support a decision I've already decided on." And then she said that what really sealed the deal was when there was a shooting in Vacuo by a White Fang member that turned out to be racially motivated, and then all the other members were defending it. Blake said that was the moment she realized that The White Fang were extremists, and she decided she didn't want to be part of it anymore.

She said, "The hardest part was talking to Adam after. We fought all the time. I couldn't get through to him that The White Fang was really about hate, not change. And at the same time I was trying to figure out if I was straight or gay... it was really stressful. I started arguing with everyone – Adam, my parents, and especially my teachers. I started getting a lot of detentions, which was where I met Sun." and she explained that her parents (mostly her Dad) don't like Sun because he used to shoplift a lot. But she said that Sun helped her deal with a lot of her stress, and convinced her to break up with Adam. She said that Sun was the first person she told that she was a lesbian, and then she was like, "See, I told you it was a long story."

I'll admit it was a lot to take in, but I'm glad she was able to give me an explanation. A lot of things made sense after. I told her 'thanks' for telling me all that, and told her that that _still_ doesn't make anything that happened yesterday her fault. Blake was like, "I'm just really sorry that you got hurt." and I told her that that wasn't her fault either and I wasn't really hurt, and she said, "Well let me make sure..." and then she started kissing my face which tickled so I tried to push her away which was hard to do while I was laughing and she wouldn't stop until finally we were both laughing so hard we were out of breath. Then we just lay together and cuddled. I was really comfortable because I had Blake's arm around my shoulders and my head was on her chest and we were holding hands and it was really warm and I just wanted to stay like that forever.

We probably lay there for half an hour, I was almost about to fall asleep. Maybe I was asleep, I'm not sure. I felt Blake move beside me, and then she kissed me, but it was a different kind of kiss than before, and it was everywhere. She kissed my ear, my cheek, my lips, and my neck before she stopped. I looked at her, only a few inches away from me, and she looked back at me, and there was this very very strange _feeling_ , but I think we both understood it.

I'd always thought it would be fast, but it was really slow. I can't really think of a lot of words to describe it. Slow. Gentle. Warm. Cozy. Close. Breathtaking.

Blake did everything. It probably didn't take very long, but there was this special feeling of connection that seemed to last forever. We kissed a lot. Her skin was warm. When it was over I felt like I was glowing from the inside out. Blake's face was so red. She looked so cute I smiled and then she smiled. Afterwards we both giggled like we were children who'd gotten away with the cookie jar.

Neither of us had the energy to get up for a little while, but then I had to pee so I was forced to get up. Otherwise I think I would have laid there with Blake for the rest of the week. When I came back Blake was eating the cookies I made for her so we shared those and watched cat videos.

It started to get late and I was thinking about going home but then Blake's mom came back from work and saw us in the living room (we were watching TV by then) and asked me if I'd like to stay for dinner. She said that Blake's dad wasn't going to be there because of some work thing so it'd just be the three of us. I said yes, and then Blake and I helped make dinner. We made something from the cookbook I gave her for her birthday :)

After dinner I helped clear the table and did the dishes and then Blake drove me home. We started giggling again on the way back to my house, and we just couldn't stop. When I got out I kissed her goodbye and we promised to text each other later. Dad was reading on the couch when I came inside and asked if Blake was feeling better, and I told him that I thought she was. He was like, "That's good." and I had a brief moment of panic that he knew what happened, but then I decided that there was no way he could, so I went upstairs and got ready for bed.

I still feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's hard for me to remember what I was so anxious about. I'm glad that it happened before I had too much time to think about it, because I think I would have gotten nervous and then ruined the moment again. This way was perfect :)

It was amazing, and it didn't hurt at all! I've never felt closer to Blake, and I haven't been able to stop smiling since because I just feel so happy and I'm completely in love with her and she loves me too and I'm so happy I want to explode!

My only worry is that Yang or Dad will find out and be mad at me, but that fear is so much smaller than when I was scared that I'd ruined things with Blake.

I can't wait to see her again. I want to kiss her and hug her and share this bubbly ball of energy that's in my chest with her. I love her so much :)

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - When Blake and I were texting she said that her mom likes me :)

...

P.P.S. - Yang was making a lot of noise in her room. I know that it's Spring Break but I still want to sleep! Even if I can't because I'm still thinking about Blake :)

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	61. March 27th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized.  
_

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Today is Sunday, March 27th.

I'll start this entry off by quickly talking about yesterday, since I didn't have the diary with me to do one.

Yesterday Dad, Yang, Uncle Qrow, and I went camping! Dad was talking all last week about how he wanted to do our annual camping trip while Yang and I were on Spring Break, so the four of us planned to leave on Wednesday and get back on Friday, but when we checked the weather it said it was supposed to rain every single day so we put it off until the weekend. It felt bad at the time, but I think it's probably a good thing because now Dad and Uncle Qrow get to save up vacation days and we'll have more opportunities to do fun things together in the summer! And also the rain was _really_ heavy and camping in it would have been totally terrible.

Once Dad came home from work on Friday he and I started packing for the trip while Yang was at work. We dragged the sleeping bags, the tents, and the other camping gear down from the attic and put it by the door so we wouldn't forget them and then we went to the grocery store and bought hot dogs and buns and marshmallows and chocolate and graham crackers and Dad bought a new box of matches and a can of propane for the portable gas stove and paper plates and cups. The cashier was able to guess our plans just from looking at everything we bought :)

When we got home we put all the stuff into the coolers and then we were going to start making dinner but Dad realized that he'd forgotten to buy a couple of the ingredients, so we ordered Chinese food! Yang was very (happily) surprised when she came home! I don't anyone who doesn't like Chinese food. After dinner I went upstairs and packed my clothes for the trip. I made sure to take my raincoat, since it always seems to rain on our camping trips no matter what the weather forecast says. I think it's Dad's bad luck! Uncle Qrow showed up around nine and he and I went outside and put his kayak (he always brings it when we go camping, even though we almost never use it!) on top of the car while Dad did the dishes. He had to tell me how to do the knots again – I forget every time! I always make him check the knots I do because ever since that one time the kayak almost fell off while we were on the highway I'm nervous that I didn't do them right. When we were done with that we went inside and played cards but then Dad said everyone should go to bed because we were going to wake up so early. It was a good idea, but I ended up going to bed _later_ than usual because I was talking with Blake :)

I really wish she could have come with us, but she said she was busy doing something with her parents. We could have sat together in front of the fire, and made s'mores, and watched the stars...

Anyway, because I stayed up so late I slept through my alarm so Dad had to come upstairs and wake me up. He did his whole "We're losing daylight!" spiel and dragged me out of bed by my leg and started throwing clothes at me before I made him leave so I could change. I went downstairs and had a glass of orange juice for breakfast then helped pack the car. It was a two hour drive to the campsite, so I caught up on my sleep on the ride. Zwei slept on my lap, he must have been woken up early too.

The campsite was way up in the mountains, so of course Uncle Qrow's kayak was completely useless and we might as well have not brought it. The air smelled so clear and cool, and all the evergreen trees added their own little spices to the scent – I love the mountains! Once we were all done stretching from the long car ride (and Yang and I were done using the bathroom) we set up the tents and unpacked the car. Yang and I cleaned off the park table and gathered rocks and sticks for the fire. When we finished setting up we had lunch and then Uncle Qrow asked if we wanted to go for a hike. Yang and I went with him and took Zwei too while Dad stayed behind to take a nap. And he accused _me_ of wasting daylight!

The hike was really fun! I love climbing over big rocks and stuff and we walked to the top of the mountain and could see for so far around us it was amazing! I'm really glad I remembered to bring my camera, because I took a ton of pictures to show Blake later! On the way back to the campsite there was this really tall tree that Yang and I both climbed and Uncle Qrow took a picture of us, and then when we were almost back we thought we saw a bear cub! It was super far away and small, so it was hard to tell, and before I could get a picture whatever it was ran off. Dad was so disappointed when we told him! I don't think he's ever seen a bear. I guess I can't really be 100% sure I've seen one either, but I think it was a bear. It could have been a raccoon or a porcupine I guess, and Uncle Qrow said that there were mountain lions around here, so it could have been one of those too. It was hard to drag Zwei away – he was like frozen staring at whatever it was. I don't think he knows how small he is, because he looked like he was going to go chase it and fight it but he probably would have lost.

When we got back Uncle Qrow and I played cards for a while and then I read the book that Blake lent me until it was finally dark and cold enough for the fire! Dad set it up and Yang moved all the chairs around it while I got the hot dogs and buns and skewers from the car. Fire-cooked hot dogs are _the best_. I finished mine quickly so I could take more pictures of everybody. I got lots of cool ones by exposing for the light on everyone's faces, and then I took a few of the fire just because pictures of fire are cool. And _then_ it was time for the best part of camping, s'mores!

S'mores are the most perfect food ever invented. They're so delicious even though they can get messy. Then, when we were chowing down on s'mores, Dad started to tell a story but it started raining! We'd had a running joke all day about when the rain would start :) Yang guessed closest!

Yang and I started shrieking and Dad and Uncle Qrow started yelling to get everything packed up because it was raining super hard. Yang and I filled our arms with the stuff from the table and threw it all into the car while Dad and Uncle Qrow tied the leftover food to a tree branch and then we all jumped into our tents. Yang and I had a brief moment of respite and then Zwei shook himself dry and splashed us with all his dog-hair-water. We could hear Dad and Uncle Qrow laughing at us from their tent.

Since there wasn't much else to do I cuddled up with Zwei and read more of Blake's book. Yang and I set up one of the lanterns between us so we'd each have light. There was a really mystical feeling to it all – the soft light from the lantern, the smell of the rain, the warmth of the tent while knowing that outside it was cold...

I love camping! I'm glad we managed to find a time to go, even though it was only for one day.

There was one thing that I thought was a little weird though. When Yang and I agreed it was time for bed, I reached over to turn off the lantern and I saw Yang flinch when my hand got near her. I asked her what was wrong and she said she was just shuffling around trying to get comfortable. I let it go but it was weird.

And now for today's entry:

I was the first one up this morning. It was so hard to get out of my sleeping bag and get dressed without waking up Yang. The air was filled with fog, which made it look super cool and super creepy at the same time. I went to the bathroom to pee but the inside of the building was _filled_ with those long-legged spiders (I think they were still hiding from the rain) that I decided I didn't really need to go right then, so instead I got all the breakfast stuff ready and tried to start a fire. Uncle Qrow came out when I was frustrated and on the tenth match and said he'd take care of it for me, so I set the table. After breakfast Yang and I went to the bathroom together and we each watched to make sure no spiders crawled on us. Then we started packing up and cleaning up the campsite and by the time we were ready to go the fog was gone, so on the drive back we got to see the beautiful mountainside dressed in the morning sunlight! I tried to get a picture but they all came out blurry because we were driving.

When we got back into cell range my phone started going off a bunch because apparently Weiss and Blake had been texting me a ton. Blake's messages were mostly asking if I was having fun and complaining about how boring her parents' thing was, but Weiss was very annoyed that I wasn't answering her question of if I wanted to hang out today or not. Yang's phone went off too, but she didn't check it. I spent the rest of the ride telling Blake about the trip and trying to arrange something with Weiss.

Once we got home we started unpacking everything and I helped Uncle Qrow get the kayak off the car which was really hard because it got filled with water during the storm so it was heavy and I got splashed. After I'd changed and walked Zwei and had some lunch I asked Dad if I could go to Weiss's house and he said that that was fine and then Uncle Qrow offered to drop me off on his way home.

It was pretty late in the afternoon by the time we got to Weiss's house, and I was pretty tired from the day even though I didn't do much of anything, but I still had a lot of fun. I said 'bye' to Uncle Qrow after he dropped me off and then I knocked on the door and then Weiss let me in and we went up to her room. I can't remember everything we talked about but I told her about camping and she was telling me about her trip to the beach and how annoying her brother was when her phone rang. She looked at it and then looked at me and I knew it was something unusual because of how wide her eyes were and she was like, "It's Sun." I was like, "Answer it!" and she did and they talked for like ten minutes and even though I could only hear Weiss's side of the conversation I totally knew he had asked her out. She'd kept asking things like "Where?" and "What time?" and also her face got bright red and she couldn't stop smiling and I have enough experience with feelings like that to know what they mean.

When Weiss hung up she looked at me and I had a big smile on my face and she was like, "What?" like she thought I wouldn't know and I was like "So when did this become a thing?" and she told me to "Shut up, Ruby Rose!" but she looked away because she was trying to hide her smile. Weiss is so pretty when she's embarrassed and smiling, I wish she'd smile more. Anyway, she told me that ever since they went to the mall together she'd been kind of hoping that Sun would ask her out because she actually thought he was pretty funny and handsome and stuff. I totally knew they'd be a great couple :)

Since school starts again tomorrow I didn't want to stay too long so I asked Dad to come pick me up. Weiss said I could stay for dinner, but I wasn't really feeling up to it. I felt a little bad for how short our hangout session was, but I was tired and just wanted to grab a bowl of leftover Chinese food and watch TV, and I said we could text later.

At home Yang, Dad, and I all watched TV and had some of the Chinese food. It was just what I wanted to end Spring Break with. The only thing that could have made it better would be if Blake had been there with me. After dinner I had to get ready for bed. It was weird doing it so early – the entire past week I've been staying up super late to talk with Blake, but now I have to wake up early again :(

It sucks that school starts again tomorrow, but I had a really fun Spring Break, and I'll get to see Blake every day :)

XOXOXO :3

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	62. April 1st

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Disclaimer** **II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized._

 **Author's Note:** It's a little late, but thank you for over 700 followers! **  
**

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Today is Friday, April 1st.

I knew today was going to be an unusual day.

I had to make sure I got up extra early today because I didn't want to get caught up in some elaborate prank. April Fool's Day has always been super important to our family, almost as important as New Year's or a birthday or something, and Dad and Yang are insufferably obsessed with trying to out-prank each other. It's gotten _so_ much worse the last couple of years; the stains on the kitchen ceiling are still there from two years ago, and Dad won't go into the basement bathroom without rubber gloves.

I felt like a ninja or a secret agent when I came downstairs today – I had to walk lightly, check every corner, and keep my ears perked for hushed giggling – but I made it safely all the way to the dining room without anything jumping on me or being sprayed in my face. Dad was still reading the paper and he looked at me and said, "You're up early, Ruby. Did your sister mess with your clocks again?" but I just told him how I needed the extra time to check for traps and he laughed. I was cautious as I got my cereal, certain that Dad had done something, but the milk, cereal, and silverware were all normal. The sink faucet wasn't even adjusted to spray into my face when I went to clean my dishes. When I was done with that I went back to Dad and put my hands on my hips and asked just what he was up to. He just grinned and said, "You'll see." and went back to reading the paper. He's so totally insufferable.

After that I went back upstairs to shower and get ready for school and I kept my eyes open for anything hanging above me or stuff on the floor for me to step in, but the only 'trap' was when Zwei decided he wanted to run up the stairs by going underneath my feet and nearly tripped me. I was completely on edge since nothing had happened yet. There was nothing wrong with the shower, nothing in the toilet, my shampoo and soap were fine, and my toothpaste was still toothpaste. When I started getting dressed I thought I found a fake bug, but it turned out to be a real bug and Zwei ate it before I could squish it. Yang doesn't do fake bugs much anymore anyway, I should have known.

I was so confused by the lack of pranks that I actually checked on Yang. She only grunted when I knocked so I opened the door a bit and asked if she was going to get up for school. I thought about telling her that school was starting in five minutes, but decided it wouldn't be nice to prank her when I don't like it when she pranks me. Yang was lying face down on her bed but she sat up when I opened the door and I saw her back and there were a bunch of bruises. I was like, "Yang what happened to your back?" and she jerked up and said, "I'll be down in a second Ruby, thanks for waking me up!" and then she closed the door on me. I heard her swear a bunch and then I heard her drawers opening and closing. I didn't know what to do. I stood outside her door, frozen, trying to think of what to say and what to think. Before I figured anything out Yang was done getting dressed and came out of her room and just smiled at me and said, "Come on, let's go!" and then she went downstairs. I followed her after a little while and read the comics page while Yang and Dad talked about pranks.

I asked Yang about the marks on her back while we walked to school. She was walking in front of me and turned around and said, "Oh yeah, Neo wanted to try to give me a back massage the other day. It... wasn't great." and chuckled. I said, "Is that the truth, Yang?" and she was like, "Of course." and looked at me like I was silly for asking.

When we got to school Blake was waiting for us as usual, but we didn't have a lot of time to be together before the bell rang and we had to go to class. Once Yang left to go to her classroom I asked Blake if Yang had told her about something bothering her. Blake said, "Nothing out of the ordinary. Tests, work, papers. Why?" and I told her about the bruises and how Yang has been acting strangely recently. Blake thought about it for a second and then said, "That _is_ odd. Now that you mention it, she's been quieter lately. I used to get texts from her at all times of the day, but they're few and far between lately. Although, I can't think of something that she wouldn't talk to either of us about. You're her sister, and she knows she can trust me with anything."

That didn't make me feel any better. I was so worried that I barely copied any notes during History. We had to write an essay in English so the class flew by, and then in Math I watched Yang. She wasn't texting or anything, even though a month ago she'd get detention every day for texting in class. For a second I thought maybe she'd learned her lesson and the school's disciplinary system actually worked for once, but then I remembered that Yang is _way_ too hardheaded to change her ways because of a few detentions.

At least Science class got my mind off of it for a little bit. Weiss and Sun have been flirting so much during the week, and it was really cute to watch them. Blake and I would sit together and just quietly laugh at how adorable they were. Sometimes they would argue because Sun said something that offended Weiss (very easy to do) or because Weiss make fun of Sun and he'd defend himself and offend Weiss and actually it was mostly just because Weiss got offended. But it was still funny! I'm so excited to hear about their date this weekend!

Lunch also went really well. Yang seemed happy and we all laughed and talked a bunch and Yang pranked Jaune by crushing a water bottle and shooting water into his face, which was really funny. After school I asked Blake if she wanted to hang out but she said she had a journalism thing she had to do so I walked home by myself. I'm kind of glad she didn't come over because I totally forgot what day it was and that my house was booby trapped. Dad had somehow rigged it so that when I opened the front door I got sprayed in the face with silly string. I thought that it was pretty funny, but then it happened again when I opened the fridge to get a drink, and then again when I went to the bathroom to get it out of my hair. I don't know how he managed to hide all this silly string from us. I actually texted him to ask if he even went to work today or just spent all his time setting up this stupid prank. He just texted back "lol". Insufferable! The worst part is I have no idea how to get him back!

After I was clean I took Zwei for a long walk (it was a pretty day) and he rolled in something stinky, which gave me an idea. When we got home I put peanut butter in Dad's bed and had Zwei roll around, spreading all that stinky. Maybe it was mean, but that's what he gets! Of course, he got me again when I went upstairs to my room and opened my door and got more silly string in my face. When I was done cleaning up all the silly string and disarming every other door in the house, I worked on some homework and then read a book until Dad got home. He had a huge laugh when I told him about what happened.

For dinner we had chicken on rice with broccoli in front of the TV, then Dad volunteered to do the dishes because of all the silly string I had to clean up. I went upstairs and finished my homework then took Zwei for another walk. Yang was home and watching TV when I got back, so I sat with her on the couch and watched a couple episodes of Goofs and Gambles. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she didn't look like she was in a talking mood. I _did_ offer to rub her back, and she said okay to that. I don't really know how to give a good massage, but Yang said it felt nice. Dad even sneakily took a picture with his phone because he said it was too cute and reminded him of when we were kids. Then it was late so I went to bed. While I was brushing my teeth I heard Dad yell at me that I was going to be the one doing laundry this weekend :)

It was a fun day, but I hope Yang tells me or Blake what's going on.

Looking forward to the weekend!

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - When I opened my book to keep reading there was a fake spider on my bookmark. I screamed and threw the book away from me. When I'd calmed down I could hear Yang cackling in her room.

I can't believe she got me with a fake bug.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I am so sorry that I haven't updated this or any other story in a while. When I was just starting writing, I thought it was so strange that some authors would take months at a time to update their stories, but now I get it. Real life is hard. Incredibly hard. Between being depressed and being super busy at school, it was hard for me to find the time and energy to do anything.

And as much as I would like to say that this chapter heralds more to come, it does not. **There will be no updates from me in June or July 2017.** I'll be in Ireland :)

 **Keep moving forward.**


	63. April 3rd

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth Studios, LLC._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized._ **  
**

 **Disclaimer III:** _This chapter contains content that could be considered mature._ **  
**

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Today is Sunday, April 3rd.

I found Yang's diary. It's been a long time since I felt this sad and angry.

I was doing the laundry like Dad told me to because of my prank and I decided to do everyone's sheets. When I pulled up Yang's sheets to take them downstairs I found her diary under her mattress. At first I wasn't going to read it, since I hated that she would read mine and because diaries are meant to be safe places to record your thoughts and secrets, but I was so curious and worried about what was happening to my sister that I _had_ to read it.

At first I thought that I'd just been overreacting since the few pages I read were all about motorcycles and little doodles of motorcycles with a bit about school and work, but then I got to a page that was all about Neo. My instincts had been right, but I let myself get distracted by her cooking and Yang's denial. I ran to my room and called Blake. When she picked up she sounded surprised but happy, and was like, "Hey Ruby! What's up?" and I told her that she needed to come over right then. She asked why, but when I said "It's Yang." she just said, "Okay. I'll be there soon." Then I couldn't do anything but sit in my room and wait. I couldn't move. I just kept thinking about what I'd read and applying it to what I remembered Yang saying. I can't believe I didn't do anything sooner, and didn't realize what was happening sooner. I feel so stupid! Stupid and blind and horrible.

I just sat in my room thinking and crying until I heard Dad call up the stairs that Blake was here. I called back "Thanks" and then waited by the top of the stairs for Blake. When she came up she gave me a big hug and asked me what was wrong so I led her back to my room and showed her Yang's diary. I watched her eyes as she skimmed through the pages – they grew wide, then angry, then sad. When she was done she gave me another hug and told me it wasn't my fault. I said, "But I didn't notice! I'm her sister, and I didn't notice how much she was suffering! I believed her, even though I knew something was wrong!" but Blake just kept telling me it wasn't my fault. She said that Yang tried hard to keep it hidden, and when I asked why she would do that Blake just shrugged and sighed and said that we'd have to ask Yang when she got back.

Yang wasn't supposed to get back for an hour and a half, so Blake and I talked about everything that's been going on and made a rough plan for how to talk about it. Yang ended up being twenty minutes late, and we were waiting on the front steps for her when she got home. She was like, "Oh, hey guys!" and she looked really happy but then I held up her diary and her whole face drained. She asked me why I had her diary and then snatched it from my hand and stomped into the house. Blake and I followed her, trying to get her to stop and talk to us, but Yang kept yelling at us about how we violated her privacy and how I "shouldn't have been snooping around" in her room and how it wasn't any of our business. We chased her all the way upstairs to her room but Yang slammed the door in our faces and we couldn't get in. We had to shout through the door to ask her to just talk to us and let us help her. She said she didn't need help and definitely didn't want _our_ help with her non-existant problem.

We were shouting enough that Dad came upstairs to ask what was going on, but I told him we'd tell him later. He gave me a suspicious look but said, "Okay." and went back downstairs. When I turned back around I heard Blake say, "Just let us in, Yang. We're trying to help you." and then Yang said, "You wouldn't even understand anyway!" and then Blake said, "Yang, I _do_ understand. And you know that." It was quiet for a little bit after that, then Yang opened her door. All she said was "Okay," and she looked and sounded so tired. We walked in and Blake sat with Yang on the bare mattress and I pulled up the chair from Yang's desk to sit across from them.

Nobody could really think of anything to say to start it off. Yang was wringing her hands in her lap and Blake was rubbing Yang's back and I just sat there nervously and biting my lip to try not to cry. After a few minutes Yang said, "I didn't want to admit I couldn't handle it." and Blake said, "That's okay."

Then Yang said, "I'm sorry for yelling at you guys." and Blake said, "That's okay."

Then, "I didn't want to admit it was a problem." and, "That's okay."

"I could still pretend to be happy as long as it wasn't a problem." and, "That's okay."

"I don't know why I thought..." and, "It's okay."

"I didn't think anyone else wanted to be with me. Boys seemed to be afraid of me. And when I looked at all of you I was... very jealous." and, "That's okay."

"She was always interested in me, even though I'm straight, and I thought why not try it? No one else was giving me any attention. The first two weeks were fun, but I noticed I was always angry at work. It took me a couple days to figure out why. She was always hitting me, or pulling my hair, which I _hate_ , and she wouldn't stop when I told her to."

I saw Yang clench her hands and she started shaking a little.

She said, "She kept hitting me and hitting me, until one day I smacked her back. I hit her right in the face and she fell down, knocking over a bunch of pots and pans, and I felt awful. I apologized over and over and told her I'd never do it again. She said I was lucky she loved me." Yang leaned over and put her head in Blake's lap, and Blake slowly brushed her hair. I couldn't think of anything to do so I just sat there, sniffling. I was so angry and sad.

Blake and I stayed quiet while Yang kept going and said, "She didn't stop hitting me though, and she started saying that no one else would ever love me. I asked her to stop hitting me and she said that I was only cute when I was angry. I told her I'd tell someone about her hitting me, and she said no one would believe me that little Neo could beat up big Yang."

Yang started crying, and then I couldn't stop myself anymore and started crying too. Yang said, "She wanted me to tell her what I was doing all the time. If I ignored her she'd hit me harder at work." When Yang said that I remembered all the bruises I saw on her arms and back, and my whole body tensed up with rage. Then Yang said, "She started telling me I was fat and making fun of how heavy I was, so I tried to lose weight, but then she'd bake cakes and cookies and all kinds of chocolates and if I refused them she'd cry and call me evil names and hit me until I ate."

I remembered all the times Yang gave me her share of dessert or lunch or something, and felt so stupid for being happy that I got them. I wanted to tell Yang that she wasn't fat, but she was still talking.

She said, "She made me feel worthless, stupid, ugly, and helpless. I was miserable and scared and angry all the time, but was even more scared of being alone." and then Blake said, "I know. But you're okay now. You're not alone." and then I said, "And you're not worthless or stupid or ugly! You're the best and most beautiful sister!" and that at least got a small smile out of Yang.

We spent the next hour or so talking. Yang decided that it was best to quit her job so she'd never have to see Neo again, and Blake showed her how to configure her phone settings to block Neo's number. Around then Dad said dinner was ready so we all went down and had some food. It was just meatloaf, but it tasted really good this time for some reason. Yang had a lot.

Blake had to go home around nine, and then Yang and I watched TV together for a bit. I sat really close to her and gave her a hug and said, "I love you, Yang." and she said, "I know. I'm sorry I lied to you." but I told her it was all okay.

School tomorrow is going to be so weird. I'm going to spend a lot of time with Yang and Blake tomorrow I think, to make sure Yang's okay. I also want to ask Blake about what she meant when she said that Yang knew she'd understand. I wonder if it's about Adam. She might not want to talk about it. I think I'll ask, but if she says she doesn't want to talk about it I'll drop it. That seems like the best thing to do.

Dad's probably pretty curious too, but it's Yang's decision when to tell him.

Here's hoping tomorrow is better than today.

XOXOXO :3

…

P.S. - Weiss said her date went super well and wanted to talk about it, but I felt pretty drained so I told her to tell me in class. At least not everything that happened today was horrible.

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 **Author's Notes:** Thank you for waiting. Ireland was fantastic, I wish I never had to leave. I would have liked to have this chapter and several others out by now, but my life has been fluctuating and very stressful lately. I don't expect that to change soon. Hopefully this chapter retained the quality of previous entries - I'm quite out of practice. Your thoughts are always appreciated.

 **Keep moving forward.**


	64. April 4th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth Studios, LLC._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized._ **  
**

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Today is Monday, April 4th.

Today was all over the place. Up, down, upside down, left and right and barrel rolls. Sheesh.

I was really tired when I woke up this morning, and it was a struggle to get out of bed. I was up pretty late because I was thinking about Yang and all the signs I missed. I feel bad because of how quickly I accepted Yang's excuses, even though my instincts were telling me something was wrong. I should have trusted my understanding and knowledge of my sister. If I had just asked her what was bothering her straight away, and not been persuaded to give up, this whole thing could have been over a long time ago.

It took me about ten minutes to push those thoughts out of my head and drag myself out of bed, so my morning routine was a little delayed. I got downstairs just in time to hear Yang tell Dad that she'd tell him all about "it" after school. Yang and I shared a look and she nodded to me, I guess to reassure me that she was feeling okay. I just grabbed some cereal and read the comics page then got ready for school.

Yang and I were quiet on our walk to school. I think we were both pretty emotionally drained after yesterday, but I made sure to walk close to her so she wouldn't feel alone. When we were probably close to halfway to school I asked her, "What did Blake mean when she said you knew she'd understand?" but Yang just said that I'd have to ask Blake.

So I did, once we were alone walking to History. I heard her groan really loudly and she said, "I told you about Adam. I've also told that story to Yang. It was... similar. Sometimes he made me feel like I couldn't do anything right, but other times he'd tell me that he was happiest when he was with me. If we fought about something, he made me feel like the most thoughtless and incompetent person on the planet. If we agreed on something, I was the smartest person he knew."

By then we were in the classroom and there were other people around so Blake started speaking quieter and I moved my desk closer to her so I could hear her better. She said, "He knew how to push my buttons and pull my heartstrings. It's hard to tell what's happening when it's happening. You almost need someone on the outside to tell you 'That's manipulative!', because you're not entirely convinced it isn't just all in your head. I had Sun to tell me, but, if I'm honest, Yang is a little more hardheaded than I am, and I don't think anything less than what happened yesterday would have convinced her."

I agreed that that was probably true, but said that I just don't understand why she wouldn't leave if she was so angry all the time. Blake said, "Yang said she was afraid of being alone. For me, I stayed because I thought I was supposed to. I was confused about my feelings but knew that girls were supposed to date boys, and despite how awful he could make me feel, Adam also made me really happy sometimes. Now, of course, I know better, and you make me so much happier than he ever could."

Her saying that caught me by complete surprise and totally blew away my blue mood. I said, "You make me super happy too, Blake!" and gave her a quick kiss that ended up not being so quick. We had to stop when the bell rang and Oobleck came in and said, "Let's all begin paying attention!". I don't think he was talking to Blake and I specifically, but it definitely felt like it. My face was red for the rest of the period, I'm sure of it.

In English Mr. Port got super distracted by someone sitting in the back of the class so while he was regaling the last four rows with a story from his adventurous youth I was able to spend about as much time as I wanted talking to Jaune. I feel like he's been super distracted lately – today I had to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention because he was just staring off into space. When he looked at me and I asked him what was up he just said, "I'm just thinking about Pyrrha. She's so amazing."

I haven't really talked to Jaune in a while, or even Pyrrha other than at lunch, where Nora usually talks over her anyway. I asked Jaune how they were doing and he said, "We're great! We hang out all the time." and then he showed me a bunch of pictures on his phone from when he went with her family to their lake house over Spring Break. Before class ended I said that he, Pyrrha, Blake and I should hang out more often.

Math was pretty boring, as usual, but it gave me another chance to check on Yang. She seemed to be doing okay. She was looking out the window a lot. During one of our 'breaks' to do practice problems I asked her what she was thinking about and she said that she was thinking about work. At first I thought that meant she was thinking about Neo, but now I think she was actually talking about the actual work, waitressing, and maybe about money.

Science class was definitely the highlight of school today. We had to do a project in class today, but that only meant that Weiss and I had plenty of time to talk about her date with Sun. As soon as she got to the classroom she walked over to me and grabbed my hand and said, "Come over here, Ruby!" and dragged me off to one of the tables in a corner. I'm pretty sure she wanted a little bit more distance between Sun and Blake and us than usual so she could talk about the date in relative secrecy. Sun got to class not too long after Weiss and I saw them smile and wave to each other as he walked by. Weiss was practically squirming, and I thought it was super cute.

Once we actually started on the project I was basically put in charge of doing the experiments while Weiss was on autopilot and telling me about the date. She said that he actually showed up early to pick her up from her house even though he's habitually late to everything (as Blake says) and he had dressed up a little – so not a tank-top and jeans – which Weiss said she liked, and then he took her out into the city to a tiny restaurant she'd never heard of (even though she's heard of every restaurant). She couldn't stop telling me how good the food was – I think she said, "Ruby, the food was _so good_ , like, you wouldn't believe it," probably eight times – and then she said what really made an impression on her was that Sun offered to pay even though everyone in the school knows Weiss is super rich and Sun isn't. That was when she started getting a little distracted comparing her date with Sun to her first date with Neptune, but I got her back on track by asking for help with the experiment. She'd only have gotten mad if I let her keep talking about Neptune. Weiss said that after dinner Sun showed her a bit around the city and they found these awesome hidden murals, and they walked along a bridge, and Sun kept checking to see if she was cold or tired.

I really liked hearing her tell the story and it made me super happy to know that she had a ton of fun, but my absolute favorite part of it all was probably looking across the room and seeing Sun telling his side of the story to Blake with exactly the same enthusiasm. Blake and I looked at each other and we both had these huge grins on our faces. I wonder if she was thinking about our first date, because I was, and how exciting and terrifying and glorious it was to be with each other for those few hours, and then the pounding of my heart afterwards when I knew it had gone well. I bet Sun and Weiss were feeling the same way I was.

Maybe not the _same_ way, but close.

Lunch was pretty subdued, which was unusual. I think everyone could tell that something was bothering Yang, Blake, and me, but Blake and I agreed that we wouldn't talk about Neo unless Yang did. I talked to Pyrrha about maybe arranging a time to hang out soon, and she seemed agreeable to the idea, but we didn't arrange anything concrete.

After school Blake asked me if I wanted to go over to her house but I said I wanted to walk home with Yang. I really wanted to go to Blake's house though. We haven't been able to do anything fun together for a couple weeks and I miss spending time with her. I'd love to go out for a long walk with her in a park or go to another movie with her or even just go down to the coffee shop for a couple hours. I'd be happy to just sit on a bench and hold hands and do nothing else.

The walk home was just as quiet as the walk to school, but I was happy to walk home with Yang for the first time in what feels like forever. Once we got home Yang watched TV and I took Zwei around the neighborhood. When I got back Yang was in her room, so I got a snack and watched TV. Dad got home a little earlier than usual and went up to talk to Yang when he was done changing out of his work clothes. I did some homework in the dining room, then fed Zwei, then watched more TV until Dad came back down and asked me if I could help him make dinner. Dad's phone rang while we were making macaroni and cheese and he went outside to talk so I ended up making dinner tonight. I'm lucky macaroni and cheese is hard to screw up. When Dad came back inside he looked madder than ever so I asked him what was wrong. I thought it was going to be something with work but he said, "Raven's in town again."

I don't know why Dad always gets so mad when Aunt Raven is in town. She only visits once or twice a year and never for very long. She's not mean either, she's just not... "fun". Uncle Qrow is fun. Aunt Raven is polite, but I always get the feeling that she doesn't really want to be here.

I bet it has to do with Aunt Raven being Dad's first wife. Dad's never really told me the full details, but if he's always upset with her it had to be something bad right?

After dinner I finished my homework and then watched more TV. I probably should have been reading or doing something more productive. Anyway, I got up to get some ice cream for dessert and I heard someone knock on the door. It was pretty late so I was a little nervous, but I thought maybe it was Blake dropping by or a neighbor who needed something or maybe even Aunt Raven and Dad just forgot to say that she was coming over tonight, but when I opened the door Neo was standing on the porch. She looked angry (as if _she_ has any right to be!) and started signing a bunch of stuff but I just glared at her and said, "You're not welcome here." and closed the door on her. Before I could walk away she started bashing on the door again so I opened it again to tell her to go away, but this time she mouthed 'Where's Yang?'.

I said, "She doesn't want to see you anymore. Go away." and started to close the door but Neo grabbed the door and tried to push her way in. I started screaming and tried to push her back, but she was surprisingly strong. I was scared that if she got in she'd hurt Yang, so I tried as hard as I could to get her out of the doorway. Suddenly Dad appeared out of nowhere – he pulled me away from the door and yelled "Get out of our house!" and shoved Neo back. Her face changed totally from angry to frightened when she saw Dad looming over her. She tried to sign something to him but he just pushed her away so hard she almost fell down the stairs. Dad was stomping towards her yelling stuff like "If you ever go anywhere near my daughter again I'm going to kill you!" and Neo _ran_ back to her car so fast I could almost see smoke coming from her shoes.

Dad stood on the porch with his hands in fists and glaring at her until her car was out of sight. When he turned around to come back inside he looked at me and I couldn't help but burst into laughter. I've never seen him do anything like that before, and for some reason it struck me as really funny. It took a minute but then Dad started chuckling too and then he told me to go inside and go to bed.

The whole thing was so scary at first but then awesome. I love my Dad.

What a day. I bet that's the last we ever see of Neo. I wish I'd gotten a picture of her face when Dad came barreling out the front door.

I bet I have sweet dreams tonight :)

XOXOXO :3

…

P.S. - Blake called me at like midnight. She must be able to read my mind, because she said that she felt like it had been a really long time since we just hung out together. We talked about meeting up someday this week then I told her about what happened with Neo and then we said goodnight. I'm so excited to spend more time with her :)

* * *

 **Keep moving forward.**


	65. April 13th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth, LLC._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized._

* * *

Today is Wednesday, April 13th.

It was quiet today.

Even though I had a hospital appointment today to check on my leg I still had to get up early because the appointment wasn't until the afternoon and Dad said I had to go to as much school as possible, so I was pretty grumpy this morning. I was also going to miss lunch so I had to eat a really big breakfast because I probably wasn't going to eat again until I got home after the appointment. I was a little slow getting out of the house because I wanted to pack a snack and also I was so full from breakfast it felt like I was ten pounds heavier.

I still can't believe Dad wouldn't let me just skip school. I wasn't even going for _half_ a day!

The walk to school was actually really nice. It was a perfect spring day! Sunny, warm, slight breeze, the smell of freshness, and some early flowers blooming! It made me wish I'd had my camera, but I left it behind because I didn't want to worry about where it was when I was in the hospital. When we met up with Blake in front of the school I gave her the usual hug and a big kiss! She looked super cute today. She's started wearing bows again since the weather's getting nicer, and today she had an adorable sweater and these leggings that made her look so pretty – I just couldn't get over how great she looked :)

Even Yang thought she looked extra good today! She and Blake spent the few minutes we had before the bell rang talking about where Blake found the clothes. It made me think about when the last time I went shopping was. I think I need to go shopping soon – I'm still wearing the same clothes I wore all through middle school! Blake would like it if I showed up to school in cute new clothes, right?

I heard her say that she got her outfit at some store in the mall; if I can find someone to take me I could probably get some stuff that looks pretty cute.

Anyway, History was pretty boring. Since we're "only" a month away from the big test Oobleck is starting to review all the material we've covered so far. I thought that I might actually get a chance to understand what he says this time around, but I was wrong – I still had to copy everything from Blake.

English was just a struggle to stay awake. Mr. Port got distracted and went off on a tangent about this one time when he was in school and blah blah blah blah. I stopped paying attention about thirty seconds in. What was weird was I heard someone sitting near me frantically taking notes on what Mr. Port was saying, as though they thought it was going to be on a test. Jaune actually did fall asleep, and I had to wake him up when class was over. There was drool stuck in the 'mustache' he's 'growing', so I made sure he wiped it off before he went to see Pyrrha.

Math was the last class I had to sit through before I had to leave for my appointment, and it was by far the hardest. All we did the whole period was equations. Just equations after equations after equations, and we weren't allowed to use a calculator or ask each other for help. I felt oppressed. I think my teacher grew up under a tyrannical regime and _liked it_. Then _finally_ the bell rang and I said bye to Yang and went down to the office to wait for Dad.

It felt super weird to leave school in the middle of the day. I tried to make Dad feel guilty for making me go to school by telling him how much of a waste of time today was, but he was unrepentant. The drive to the hospital was okay but we got stuck in traffic a couple times and Dad was shouting and swearing (more than usual). He's still in kind of a bad mood because Aunt Raven's in town, but I thought he'd be happier because she hasn't come to see us yet. The last time I asked him about it he told me to go do homework. I told him it was Saturday, and he told me to go vacuum. I haven't asked him about it since.

Once we got to the hospital we parked and signed in and got the little name badges they always give you and then we sat in the waiting room. There was a TV that was muted but showing the news. It was all so negative and all about murders and other crimes, and then suddenly about the weather and sports. The news is so weird. I hope that when Blake becomes a journalist she writes about happy things.

After almost an hour a nurse came to get us and we went to a room and I had to change into one of the gowns (I hate those things!) and they did all the usual nurse things like blood pressure, listening to my heart and stuff and then we had to wait some more for Dr. Amber.

When she finally showed up I was so bored I'd been making sculptures out of cotton swabs and hand sanitizer, and Dad was asleep. Dr. Amber asked me a ton of questions like how I was feeling, was my leg giving me any problems, did I have any pain anywhere, did I participate in any vigorous physical activity, and when I finished answering we went to get my leg x-rayed. Dad was still asleep so we left him in the room.

I really like getting x-rayed. Something about the lead blanket they put on you makes me feel really comfortable. It's like a really big hug all over my body. Today it reminded me a lot of when I was lying next to Blake on her bed and we were cuddling. Also when I'm getting x-rayed I figure there's always a chance that I'll get super powers. One day I'm going to get an x-ray and when it's over I'll have super speed!

I've always thought super speed would be the coolest super power. Yang thinks super strength is better, but I always say that she can't hit what she can't catch!

Dad found us just in time to hear the results of the x-ray. Dr. Amber said it was healing really well! We went back to our room and Dr. Amber talked to me and Dad about what I need to be careful with and then she wrote me a prescription for some mild pain relievers just in case my leg bothers me before the next check-up and then we went down to the front desk to pay and schedule the next appointment.

While we were at the desk I saw a family walk in with balloons. One said "Get Well Soon Mom", and I got really sad. It brought back a lot of memories from when Mom was in the hospital. One of the kids was crying.

When we were walking to the car Dad looked at me and asked me what was wrong. I guess I looked pretty upset. I asked him if we could visit Mom and he said yes.

The graveyard isn't far from the hospital. There were only a couple other cars there. Dad and I walked together along the gravel path to Mom's grave, seven rows in and five rows towards the back, right beside the flower bed. I've always thought that Mom likes her spot. She gets to look at the flowers. They were almost bloomed today.

Dad stood while I sat, and we both said our pieces silently. I said I was sorry for not coming more often, and told her about how my leg was doing, and about Yang and Blake and Weiss, and how much I missed her and loved her. When I stood up again Dad asked if I was ready to leave and I said yes, then when I started walking to the car Dad stepped next to the grave. I watched him put his hand on the headstone and close his eyes, and I saw him say something but I couldn't tell what it was and I didn't ask him afterwards. The drive home was quiet.

Yang was waiting for us when we arrived – she asked me how my leg was doing and then what was for dinner. Dad said he'd go get something if we could decided quickly, and Yang and I agreed on Chinese food. Dad left to pick it up and I took Zwei for a walk, mostly because I kind of wanted to be alone.

I spent the whole walk thinking about Mom. I miss her so much. I wish she was still here, so I could talk to her about everything. So she could tell me about what she used to do when she was my age. So she could brush my hair. So we could bake cookies together. So she could meet Blake.

I got home from the walk right before Dad came back with the food, and then all of us watched TV together. After dinner I did some homework in my room then read a book.

I'm feeling unusually tired tonight so I think I'll go to bed early.

Tomorrow I get to catch up on all the classwork I missed today. I guess if I skipped the whole day I'd have more work to do tomorrow, so it's probably a good thing I didn't stay home today. It's so annoying when Dad's right.

Goodnight.

XOXOXO :3

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** My godmother died on April 13th, 2016. She was the kindest person I've ever met. Never forget to tell the people you care about how much you love them.

 **Keep moving forward.**


	66. April 16th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth Studios, LLC._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized.  
_

* * *

Today is Saturday, April 16th.

I woke up pretty early today, even though I _love_ to sleep in on Saturdays. I was excited about going to the mall with Weiss so once I woke up it was really hard to just roll over and go back to sleep. We also never really came up with a time when she'd pick me up, just 'pretty early', so for all I knew she could have shown up when I was in the shower or something and I didn't want to be embarrassed like that again. It's happened too many times in the past.

Dad was reading the newspaper at the table and I sat down with my bowl of cereal and stole the comics page from him. He gave me a glare but then rolled his eyes and went back to reading the news. I went to get the milk and some orange juice and when I came back he had taken a handful of my cereal and was eating it, so I had to get a new bowl of cereal too. I gave him back the comics page to reduce the risk of further retaliation.

When I finished breakfast and doing my dishes I took a shower and picked out a nice "going out" outfit so I didn't feel too self-conscious when we were at the mall. I'm still wearing pants mostly – I'm just not sure how I feel about showing my legs with my scar and everything – but every day I want more and more to wear a skirt. Skirts just make me feel so much happier and prettier. Once I was finished getting dressed I grabbed my purse and my shoes and went downstairs to wait for Weiss on the porch. I read my book until she showed up – I don't think she took super long because I only got through a single chapter. I tapped on the window to get Dad's attention and waved goodbye and he gave me a thumbs-up and then mimed that I had to be back by five.

I made the mistake of trying to get into the front seat (like you do with normal people) but as soon as I opened the door and saw Klein again I was like "Oh yeah, this is Weiss" and got in the back. I'm pretty used to being chauffeured around because I can't drive yet, but not like _chauffeured_ chauffeured. Hopefully I can get my learner's permit soon and then before long I'll be able to drive myself places! Though I'll have to compete with Yang and Dad for a car...

Anyway, I sat with Weiss in the back of the car and she said I looked cute in my outfit which made me feel really good because Weiss is all fashionable and stuff. She was wearing a skirt, and I told her how jealous I was and she said that we'd have to look at skirts today. Skirts weren't really on my list of stuff to buy today, but I thought that it couldn't have been a bad idea. The drive wasn't super long, or at least it didn't feel that way since we had a chauffeur. Poor Klein had to deal with all the highway traffic while Weiss and I talked about Sun and Blake. Klein dropped us off in front of the mall and then left because he had other errands to run for Weiss's parents.

The mall was busier than I had expected, but I guess it makes sense because it was Saturday. I used to always time my trips to the mall on school holidays so that I could go during the week when less people would be there. I don't really like being surrounded by a bunch of people. I couldn't really decide where I wanted to go first, so Weiss suggested we just wander around and window shop a bit until I see something I like. We walked for maybe ten minutes until I saw something I liked, but it wasn't _clothes –_ I wish I'd gotten a picture of Weiss's face when I dragged her into the candy store. We probably spent longer in there than we needed to, but I think it was totally worth it. I got a huge bag of candy that I'm going to try and ration through next week. I just have to keep it hidden from Yang and Dad...

Weiss chose the next stop, which _also_ wasn't clothes – she smelled coffee and pulled me into a tea/coffee store and we spent probably twenty minutes sampling coffee. I don't normally like coffee or tea unless it has a ton of sugar in it, but some of what we had was pretty good.

Then we _finally_ found a clothes store that looked like it might be good to shop in. I saw some cute outfits on the mannequins in the window and told Weiss that I wanted to look around. Weiss made a weird face and said that that store was pretty low quality and cheap, but I was like, "Weiss, I only have my allowance from the last couple months. I can only get cheap stuff." and she relented. The store was just starting to put out their spring line, so I tried on a bunch of shorts and light pants and a couple dresses, but my favorite stuff was some of their tops. They had a ton of bright colored shirts, which I thought would look good with some of the pants I already have. After that we went to a couple other stores and I found some skirts that I thought were cute and felt nice. One shop was _waaaay_ too expensive for me, so I had to wait and be jealous of Weiss for being able to afford such nice clothes. Weiss offered to buy me this one fancy shirt I really liked, but I turned her down.

We took a break to have lunch in the food court and then Weiss called Klein to come back and get us, but on our way to the parking lot we passed a lingerie store and Weiss _insisted_ we go in. I didn't want to – I felt really uncomfortable with the idea, and also I'd already spent most of my allowance – but Weiss was like, "We'll just look, promise." and I decided that it couldn't be too bad. We walked in and I felt really silly for being in there. I felt like I was way too young for all this stuff – all the models on the posters looked a lot older than me – and most of the bras looked like they were too big for me. Mostly I just followed Weiss around, and she'd pick stuff up and be like, "Isn't this pretty?" and most of it was, but there was this one outfit that was sitting out that Weiss picked up and said, "Ruby, you _have_ to try this one on! It's perfect for you!"

I was like, "No, that's okay," but Weiss was like, "Come on, just try it! You'll look great!". We went back and forth a bit but I finally agreed when she promised we would leave when I was done. I felt so silly in the dressing room. I remember thinking that there was no way this outfit would look good on me, but once I put it on and looked in the mirror I was surprised. I looked _really really_ good. I'd never worn lingerie before, so I never knew what it could do for me. It wasn't something super fancy either.

I must have taken slightly too long because Weiss was like, "Well? How does it look?" and I said it looks great and then Weiss said, "Really? Let me see!" and I was like no way but she said, "Ruby Rose, get out of there and let me see!"

Weiss is a little too forceful sometimes. I still like her though.

When I came out she looked me up and down and nodded and said, "I knew it. You're buying that." I checked the price tag and saw that I didn't have enough to pay for it, but Weiss said she'd buy it for me. I tried to tell her to just let it go but she was like, "You can pay me back later. I'm getting some underwear anyway, and if you buy enough they give you a coupon. It's win-win." I gave up and just let her buy it for me. I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere by arguing with her any more.

Afterwards we waited outside in the shade until Klein pulled up, and then we drove home. I gave Klein some of my candy as thanks for driving us. When we got back to my house I hid the lingerie in the bottom of my other bags so that Dad and Yang couldn't see it. I don't think I could handle Yang's teasing if she found out. It was pretty late (I didn't realize how long we spent at the mall until I got home) so I went upstairs and dropped off my clothes then took Zwei for a walk, then helped Dad make dinner when I got back.

Yang, Dad, and I watched a movie for dinner, a silly one with lots of singing. I liked all the long takes and the cinematography, but I had the songs stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Pros and cons to everything I guess.

I had a little bit of ice cream for dessert and watched some videos on my laptop, and now it's time for bed! No plans for tomorrow, so I get to relax! :)

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - Blake called me while I was brushing my teeth and she asked me if I wanted to hang out tomorrow so of course I said yes because I've been _dying_ to hang out with Blake but we're both so _busy_ all the time now! We're going to meet up at her house and then walk down to a diner and get lunch! I'm so excited, especially since she said that she has good news that she wants to share with me! Now of course I can't get to sleep because I'm so excited but all I want to do is sleep so it can be tomorrow faster! :)

...

P.P.S. - While I was trying to fall asleep I thought about what Blake and I were going to do _after_ lunch. We only made plans to have lunch, and nothing after that. Are we going to go back to her house? If we go back to her house will we go up to her room? If we go up to her room would we lay on the bed together? Would it happen like the first time and I'd feel that magical happiness again?

Maybe I should wear my new underwear tomorrow, just in case.

I wonder if Blake will like it...

...

P.P.P.S. - I _still_ can't fall asleep and I just realized Weiss peer-pressured me into going into that store. I'm pretty mad about it – I can't believe that she'd peer-pressure me, and I can't believe I let myself get peer-pressured. It worked out this time, but from now on I'm going to be better about stuff like that. The next time I see Weiss I'm going to give her an earful. I hope she just didn't realize she was doing it.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I think this chapter kind of sucks.

 **Keep moving forward.**


	67. April 17th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth Studios, LLC._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction that at this point is based on no experience whatsoever and is intentionally dramatized.  
_

* * *

Today is Sunday, April 17th.

I had an amazing day today, but it's left me feeling very, very sad.

This morning practically flew by – I got up early and had breakfast, walked Zwei, showered, negotiated with Yang for a ride to Blake's house in exchange for some of the candy I bought yesterday, showered, and got dressed for my date. I wanted to get really, really dressed up, so that when Blake saw me, when she saw the whole thing, she'd go "Wow."

I wore my new fancy underwear, and modeled it for myself in my mirror and it still looked good. The whole time I was thinking "Blake had better like these because I can't return them once I cut the tags off...". I spent a little too long though and only had enough time to put on some basic makeup before it was time to go.

The ride was quick and relatively calm. I was obviously super excited about the date and was more than happy to tell Yang about it when she asked what our plans for the day were. The fancy underwear was a little stiff since it was still so new which made it kind of uncomfortable to sit in, and when Yang asked why I was so fidgety I got a little nervous but managed to pass it off as happy anticipation. I guess that's why in the movies they always say 'slip into something more comfortable' and _then_ change into their fancy underwear, because it kind of sucks to wear it for long periods of time.

When we got to Blake's and Yang drove away and I was standing in front of her door I felt those flutters in my chest that I always feel whenever I know I'll see Blake soon. It was a little different today though; it reminded me a lot of our first date, when I still wasn't sure of what was happening and was scared I'd do something to mess it up. I think it was because I was expecting we'd be doing something later. Before I rang the doorbell I checked myself over and fixed my hair.

Blake looked so happy to see me when she opened the door, and I felt bubbly energy start rising from my toes to my face when I saw her smiling. The energy seemed to settle in my cheeks, and I really hoped I wasn't blushing – I was afraid of giving my secret away too early. She invited me in and asked me to wait for a second while she put her shoes on. It was only for a couple minutes at most, but it was so relieving to be able to sit down. I was having so much trouble relaxing. I think it's funny that even though we've been dating for five months I still get so nervous and awkward around her :)

It was a perfect day to be outside. Sunny, breezy, and cool. Blake and I held hands as we walked down the street; her hands were so soft and warm. The diner was a couple miles away, but that just gave us a lot of time to walk together. She wouldn't tell me what her good news was no matter how often I asked or how much I used my puppy-dog face that _always_ works on Yang. We talked and joked and pointed out unusual-looking cars.

The diner smelled like perfectly cooked and perfectly spiced meat. Blake and I both sighed when we walked in. It wasn't busy so we were seated pretty quickly, and the waitress was super friendly and pointed out the best meals to us. I had a pita sandwich that had a really sweet sauce that I liked a lot.

Blake still wouldn't tell me what her good news was until after we had finished eating. Her smile infected me as she took my hands, and I stared right into her beautiful eyes. I didn't know what was coming, but I was so excited to find out what was making her so happy. Blake said, "Ruby, I was accepted into Menagerie State University!"

She said that the letter came yesterday, and the only other people who know are her parents. She also qualified for a scholarship, so her freshman year is already paid for. She asked me not to tell anyone because she wants to tell everyone herself, but she wanted me to know first.

I was super happy for her. I'm still super happy for her.

One of the neat things about the diner we went to was that it also sponsored an animal rescue, and after Blake and I spent like twenty minutes talking about college and we went up to pay, the waitress told us that there was an adoption drive going on at the pet store down the street. Neither of us could find a reason _not_ to go and look at cute animals. We walked into the pet store and asked an employee about the adoption drive, and she pointed us towards the back. There was a pretty large crowd back there, which I guess is a good thing since it meant that more people might be adopting the animals, but it made it hard to see because I'm short. There were three or four pens that each had a bunch of either puppies or kittens, and you could go in and sit and play with the animals. Blake went to sit with the kittens (because she loves cats and is allergic to dogs) and I went to play with some puppies.

It was so much fun. Puppies are great; they just want to love you and will climb all over you just so they can lick your face. I got completely swarmed as soon as I sat down, and soon I was on my back with like seven puppies pushing each other out of the way to get at my face. I bet I still had some food on my face, and that's why they were so determined to lick me totally clean. An employee had to rescue me by putting some food down on the other side of the pen. I got up and brushed myself off to get rid of any dog hair, then went over and watched Blake with the kittens. She and the kittens were so much calmer in comparison – she sat with two in her lap and one in her hand, just slowly stroking their heads. I could hear them purring from ten feet away.

After another twenty minutes and another tour in the puppy pen, Blake and I decided it was time to go. On the walk back to Blake's house we talked about the puppies and kittens and more about college. I was getting more and more nervous the closer we got to her house, since I thought that when we got back we'd go up to her room and be alone. But when we got there Blake said, "Okay, just give me a second to get my keys and then I'll drive you home!" and then ran off to her room before I could say anything. I was in a little bit of shock because I really thought that we'd be spending more time together, so when Blake came down I asked her why we couldn't hang out for the rest of the day. She said, "Oh, my parents have a thing tonight and I'm going with them. That's why I only asked you out for lunch. Sorry, I should have told you."

I was more than a little disappointed, but there wasn't much I could do other than say, "That's okay." and give her a smile.

Blake did most of the talking on the drive home, and then we kissed goodbye in front of my house. I felt I'd mostly recovered by the time we got to my house, but when I walked in Dad said, "Welcome back, kiddo!" and then, "Everything okay?"

I was confused why he would ask that, so I said, "Yeah, I'm fine. It was really fun." and he said, "You sure? Normally you have a huge smile on your face after spending time with Blake." but I just said I was fine again and then went up to my room. I changed into more comfortable clothes and watched videos for awhile, then walked Zwei, then watched TV until it was dinner time. I had a little bit of math homework to finish after dinner, and then I read until it was time for bed.

It was a great day, and I know it was great and that I had a lot of fun, but I still feel sad. And it's not just because I didn't get to show Blake my new underwear or because I never got the 'wow' I wanted, and it's not because we didn't have sex.

It's because it finally hit me that Blake is going to leave. The day is coming when she won't be waiting for me in front of the school in the morning, or sitting next to me in history class, or laughing with me at lunch, because she's leaving. There are only a few months between now and then, and then once she's gone it will be more months before she comes back.

And I know it's her dream, I know it's what she's always wanted. She's never hidden it from me that she wants to go to school on the other side of the country. And I know it's selfish of me to want her to stay here for no reason other than I'm here, but I can't help it. That's what I want. I want to be able to spend more time with her, to be with her, to be able to see her and kiss her and hold her hand. And I know that her being far away doesn't mean that we couldn't still be together – there are so many ways to stay together, to talk to each other – but it wouldn't be the same. I like what we have now, and I don't want it to change. I don't want to lose everything that Blake gives me by being here.

I'm happy for her. I'm so, _so_ happy for her. But I'm sad for me, and that's what makes it hard.

I'm tired now. I think I'm going to go to bed.

Goodnight.

...

P.S. - It's silly to be sad that things are going to change. Things are always going to change, and it's impossible to tell whether it will be for the better or for the worse. It's also silly to be sad now for something that isn't going to happen for a few months. I should be happy that I still have so much time to spend with her. It's up to me to decide how I want to interpret things, and I don't want to interpret this as something bad.

A good thing has happened, and even though it means things are going to change in a way that I might not like, it's still good.

Today was a good day.

...

P.P.S. - Blake texted me really late and said that she was sorry she didn't tell me about her evening plans. She said she just got really caught up in the excitement of getting accepted and it slipped her mind. She said she could tell I was disappointed we didn't get to spend more time together, and promised to make it up to me.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I don't really like this chapter either.

 **Keep moving forward.**


	68. April 22nd

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth Studios LLC._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized._

* * *

Today is Friday, April 22nd.

Just when all the days were starting to blur together and I was losing hope that summer would ever get here, I have an amazing day like today that I know will stand out from all the others as one of the best days of my time in high school.

First off, I slept _super_ well and had an amazing dream where Blake and I were lost together in the woods but we weren't really lost we were just kind of hanging out and being alone and we climbed trees and read books for days and days. I woke up feeling so happy and light and _free_ , and I just couldn't wait to see Blake to tell her about it. I sprang out of bed and had so much energy that when I finished breakfast I made lunches for myself and Yang. Yang kept looking at me and smiling and shaking her head and I know I probably looked really goofy being all happy but I don't care.

The next thing that made today special was that the weather was perfect! It was warm and sunny and the air smelled like flowers and fresh leaves and the few clouds that were drifting across the sky were bright and fluffy looking. It was like a preview of a wonderful summer day, reminding us that the best months of the year aren't so far away after all!

And, the weather being so nice meant I could finally wear a skirt without being cold! I finally decided that I didn't care if my scar shows, I was going to wear a skirt and enjoy the sun on my legs! It just added to the feeling of freedom and lightness that was floating like a bubble inside my chest. I spun around in a circle probably fifty times on the walk to school, but stopped after I spun too much one time and lost my balance. Yang was almost laughing too hard to help me up from the ground – luckily my skirt didn't get dirty.

When we got to school I jumped into Blake's arms and gave her a big kiss on her cheek. She was surprised, but it put a huge smile on her face and that made me feel so happy. She smelled really good today. I told her about my dream which made Yang roll her eyes every three seconds but Blake looked totally engrossed. When I was done she said, "What an adventure that would be. When do we leave?" Then the bell rang and we had to go to class.

In History we had a review session in groups with a small extra-credit contest at the end. My group came in second, so we only got five extra points on our last quiz. It was a lot better than just trying desperately to keep up with Oobleck's lecture. I'm starting to actually feel a little nervous about the test that's coming up next month. Oobleck talks about it like it's going to be the most difficult thing I've ever attempted, but I bet if I study with Blake I'll ace it no problem! She's so smart.

On my walk to English I did notice a few people staring at my leg, but I just ignored them. There isn't much else I can do about it – they'll get used to seeing it. In class we critiqued each others' essays that we had to write earlier this week, and for once I didn't pair up with Jaune. Afterward he said he was glad I didn't read his essay because he thought it was terrible. I asked if he had Pyrrha help him with it, and he said, "Yeah, she came over on Tuesday but we… didn't make a lot of progress on the essay." Those two are _so…_ I don't really know. I guess I'm kind of the same way with Blake.

Math went by quickly for once. We started a new unit that I only half understood, so I had to pay a lot of attention and ask questions. The teacher actually had to tell me to stop asking so many questions or we wouldn't be able to get through the whole chapter. So close to not being given homework!

Science class today was just like it's been every day this week – watching Sun and Weiss steal glances at each other and give small waves and then get caught by the teacher and called out for not paying attention. Blake and I both just shook our heads – compared to Sun and Weiss we feel like such an established, experienced couple. It is fun seeing them and imagining what Blake and I looked like to other people when we first started dating.

But the day really picked up after school – Blake, Yang, and I met up in front of the building and were talking about stuff when Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, and Jaune came out and joined us. We all started making plans to hang out since it was Friday and such a nice day, and then Weiss and Sun came out and said they were going to get ice cream if anyone wanted to come. All of us said yes!

We walked in a giant group to the closest ice cream store (about fifteen minutes) and took up every seat they had! It wasn't really an ice cream store I guess, it was "gelato", but I don't really understand the difference so I just call it ice cream. I ordered a 'medium' bowl of the strawberry cheesecake flavor, but what they gave me definitely looked more like an extra-extra-large! I wasn't sure I would be able to eat it all! I wish I could remember what everyone ordered, because it all looked so good! I know Blake got a bowl of chocolate-vanilla-swirl, and Yang had a small cone of vanilla-caramel with sprinkles. They both let me have a sample, and I got some on my nose (from Yang's I think). Blake cleaned it off for me, but not until after she and Yang both took pictures of me.

When everyone was done (except for Ren, he's the only person I know who can take a long time to eat ice cream) we tried to figure out what else to do. Yang suggested we go back to our house since it wasn't very far (another fifteen or twenty minutes) and we could play games. Everyone liked that so off we went. It was pretty cute seeing all the couples walking together – I shared Blake with Yang – so I stopped a took a picture with my phone (I never have my camera when I need it!).

Zwei sure got surprised when suddenly nine people burst into the house! I put him outside to calm down and also to help with Blake's allergies. Nora and Ren went out with him too because Nora wanted to play with him and Ren just kind of follows Nora around. At first we just sat around the living room talking and joking with each other and then we played a couple card games. I didn't win a lot, but I had so much fun my face was hurting.

Dad came home and was really surprised to see so many people in the house. I introduced him to the few he hadn't met yet, and then he asked what we wanted to do for dinner. Pyrrha started to say that we could go out to get something and that Dad didn't have to make anything for us, but Yang and I both interrupted her and said, "Pizza!" Everybody chipped in a little money and we ordered four pizzas.

While we were waiting Yang went down into the basement and brought up our Wii. We haven't used it in months since Yang was always busy and I never really played it by myself. We loaded up some games and played Mario Kart – it was only four players so if you didn't place you had to rotate out.

Pyrrha was suspiciously good for someone who claimed to have never played before (she's so freakishly good at everything she does), and I don't think Jaune ever placed higher than tenth because he kept falling off the courses. He was so ashamed he went and sat in the corner facing the wall. I didn't play too much (although I'm pretty good at Mario Kart) and was happy enough to sit with Blake and watch the others race. Sun and Yang got really into the game and were practically fighting each other in front of the TV. Lots of jabbing and foul language. I had to teach Weiss how to play because she'd never played video games before, but she ended up being pretty good. She even got into first once, but then got blue-shelled by Yang and finished in sixth.

Once the pizza arrived we switched back to card games, and it was pretty much the same as Mario Kart. Pyrrha kept winning, Sun and Yang would fight, Weiss kept needing to check the rules for how to play, and Jaune always lost. Blake and I played a little, but mostly we cuddled and watched. At one point even Dad joined in – when he won a game he stood up and cheered "Booyah!" and I was so embarrassed.

Blake's allergies started getting worse when we let Zwei inside so he could eat, and I went with her upstairs so she could get some space away from him. We went to my room and sat on my bed and I'd give her tissues so she could wipe her eyes and blow her nose after she sneezed. When she had recovered we just sat together and cuddled, and then suddenly I said, "I don't want you to go."

She looked at me a little confusedly, and I was pretty confused myself because I didn't know I was going to say that, it just came out, and she asked, "What do you mean?"

I said, "I don't want you to move so far away. I mean, I do, so you can go to school and be happy and learn things, but I don't want you to be gone. I'll miss you."

Blake gave me a hug and a kiss on my forehead and said, "I don't want to go so far away either, because I'll miss you too. But don't worry, it'll be okay. And we still have a lot of time we can spend together." and then she kissed me again and said, "Why don't we go on a date this weekend? A real, full one, not just a lunch?" and I told her I'd like that, so we made plans for Sunday. We're going to go to the park and get dinner.

After Dad put Zwei back outside Blake and I came downstairs but then it was dark so everyone decided it was probably time to go home. They all piled into Dad's car and Yang and I waved from the porch as they left. Yang put away all the leftover pizza and I did the dishes, then we watched TV until Dad got home. The three of us watched a short movie and had some cookies, then we split up into our rooms and got ready for bed.

I read for a little while and texted with Weiss and Blake, but I'm starting to feel pretty tired after such an exciting, fun day, so I think I'm going to go to bed now.

What a great day.

XOXOXO :3

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** I apologize for being absent the last few months. I've been feeling dead for a while, and still am a little bit, but this is something I've often thought about returning to. Thank you so much for (more than) 800 followers. The support you all have given to me and this story blows me away, and I can't put into words what it means to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope to have more for you to read soon. There are many stories I want to share.

 **Thank you.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	69. April 24th

**Disclaimer I:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth Studios, LLC._

 **Disclaimer II:** _This is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized. If you couldn't already tell._ **  
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 **Disclaimer III:** _There is content in this chapter that requires a mature attitude.  
_

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Today is Sunday, April 24th.

I can feel myself glowing on the inside. My chest feels so warm it's like hot chocolate is pumping through me with every breath I take, every beat of my heart. Today felt dreamy. For some reason I just keep picturing scrambled eggs, like if I had to pick an answer on a multiple choice test about how I feel overall I'd pick 'scrambled eggs'. Big bunches of yellow with small chunks of white piling up on a plate, steaming and sizzling, served fresh on a lazy Sunday when I don't wake up until 11:30. I guess I think scrambled eggs are dreamy. But that's how I feel right now, like scrambled eggs.

It was cold and rainy yesterday, so when I woke up this morning the first thing I did was check to see if the rain had stopped because I didn't want it to rain during my date with Blake, but it was still raining. It was just a light rain, barely more than fog or a mist, but I was still worried about it being a problem so I texted Blake and asked if we should reschedule (I really didn't want to, but I thought going to the park in the rain would be pretty yucky). Blake replied right away and said that she was okay with the rain, and that she'd pick me up around 11, so I went downstairs for breakfast.

Dad and Yang were at the table eating and sharing the newspaper. Dad was reading the comics and Yang was poring over the classified ads. I got myself a bowl of cereal and leafed through the actual news part of the paper but there wasn't anything super interesting so when I finished eating I left. Sometimes I find something cool to read about and I sit at the table for almost an hour, so I guess it was kind of lucky that nothing caught my eye because then I wouldn't have had time to get ready for my date!

After I showered I picked out my outfit and did my makeup. It was hard choosing what to wear because it was cold and rainy outside but I also wanted to wear a skirt (because now I'm obsessed with wearing them!) so I compromised and wore a skirt and leggings and my red sweater and my lucky boots. I didn't do anything complicated for my makeup but I messed up my lipstick and it took me three more tries to get it right and then I looked at the clock and it was almost 11 so I had to hurry up.

I was waiting on the porch when Blake pulled up because I couldn't wait to start the date and I didn't want to waste any time by having to leave the house. But then when I ducked inside to say bye to Dad and Yang Dad asked me if I remembered my umbrella and I had totally forgotten it and then I couldn't find it so it took me and Dad and Yang like four minutes to find it. It was in my room for some reason – normally it's in the closet by the front door. When I finally got into Blake's car and she asked me what took me so long I had to tell her about the umbrella and she laughed at me. I was pretty embarrassed. Who forgets their umbrella when they're going on a date on a rainy day? Me apparently.

It was an easy drive to the park. There weren't many other people on the road because of the weather and it being a Sunday, but Blake still had to drive slow because the rain made everything so slippery. There was one street that had a big puddle in it and we drove through it three times because it was really cool to see the giant splash. When the windows started to fog up I drew hearts and smiley faces on the glass.

Blake and I were the only ones at the park. It was surreal. I've been to the park so many times with Dad and Yang and with my friends and there's _always_ people there, but not today. I wish I'd brought my camera, because the park looked awesome with the rain making like a faded wall of fog that blurred everything and the total stillness other than the drips coming from the tree branches. Blake and I walked down the trail holding hands and covered by our umbrellas, and we didn't talk, just taking in the freshness and silence. Eventually though I just couldn't wait any longer to talk to Blake, so we started talking. We talked about school and books and movies and told old stories about ourselves and our families – she had a good one about Sun trying to do a jump with his bicycle that ended up with him on the ground upside down. I got her to fall over laughing with a story about Yang falling up the stairs with a glass of water in her hand. That story makes me and Yang laugh every time we talk about it.

We came to a part of the trail that had a bunch of big rocks to the side and I told Blake about how I used to climb them as a kid when Mom would bring me and Yang to the park. They looked so much bigger then. Blake suggested I try climbing them again, so we went over and I hopped up to the top of one of the smaller ones in like two steps and pulled her up, then handed her my umbrella because I needed both hands for the next rock. Blake giggled when I got to the top and posed for her. I kept climbing and told Blake to follow me and so neither of us had umbrellas and we were climbing rocks in the rain. When we got to the tallest rock, which was barely wide enough on top for both of us to stand on together, the rain had already made my hair hang down in front of my face, but I didn't care. Blake and I were laughing so hard, just at how silly we were being. Then she took my hands and leaned in close, and gave me a big kiss. I loved it, all of it. The rain, the rocks, kissing Blake. I was cold and wet but felt so happy.

But then, because even though I think I'm a super lucky person in general I can still also have _really_ bad luck sometimes, there was this huge bolt of lightning and the loudest thunderclap I think I've ever heard, _right over us_ , and it took my by complete surprise and I slipped off the rock and fell in the mud. Blake was surprised too but managed to keep her balance and then cracked up looking at me on the ground covered in mud. I started to laugh too, because it was super funny, but then the formerly mild rain turned into a _downpour_. I swear the raindrops were as thick as my fingers. Blake and I screamed and dashed for our umbrellas but we were already soaked by the time we got to them.

We ran as fast as we could back to her car (halfway down the trail!) and jumped in. We both sat there for a few minutes, shivering, confused as to what had just happened, before we started laughing again. Blake suggested we go back to her house to change, and I agreed.

Blake's mom's face when she opened the door was a mix of surprise, worry, and amusement. I bet we looked pretty funny, standing on the stoop in the rain rubbing our arms and shivering with our teeth chattering. She laughed and said, "Come in, you two,". She got us some towels and had us sit on the floor and take off our shoes, then started making hot chocolate and asked us what happened.

Blake's mom puts in more marshmallows than even Dad when she makes hot chocolate. I like Blake's mom. She looked like she was getting ready to go somewhere so after we were done telling her how we got caught in a surprise monsoon I asked her why she was so dressed up on a rainy Sunday. She said, "Oh, I've got a lunch date with Blake's father and some work friends so I'll be leaving soon. Are you two going to be okay without me here?" and we said yes because duh we'll be okay and she said okay and told us to put our wet clothes in a hamper in the basement and she'd do laundry when she got home.

Once her mom left, Blake and I took our hot chocolate up to her room. I was chilled to the bone, so Blake suggested I take a shower to warm up. She got me another towel and some clothes to change into and I went into the bathroom. Their shower was different from ours so it took me a second to figure out how to get the hot water to come out, but then I was okay. It felt so good to take a hot shower after being nearly frozen solid! The clothes were some of Blake's pajamas and they were super warm and comfy, if a little too big for me. They smelled like her too. Like books and dark flowers and coffee. I loved them and wished I never had to take them off.

Going to the park in the rain was fun, but I liked the shower more. But neither were the best part of today.

I went back to Blake's room after the shower, but when I walked in she was changing. She didn't have a shirt on. I felt my face go red and I apologized and turned around to leave, but Blake didn't say anything, and I stopped. I turned back and she had a small, shy smile, and she said, "It's okay, Ruby." Her face was red too.

I still can't think of how to describe it. It was the same as the first time, but also totally different. But the _feeling_ was the same. The same big… _feeling_.

It was a little faster this time, but still slow. Still gentle and warm, still cozy and happy. There was so much _closeness_. We lay there for what felt like hours, just looking at each other, smiling. Her eyes were so beautiful. They were twinkling. Her skin was so warm. She kept brushing my hair behind my ear.

I can't stop thinking about it. About her.

I love her so much.

The rest of the day might as well not have happened.

Eventually we did get up. Blake took her own shower and I put all our wet clothes in a hamper like her mom said to. Then we made more hot chocolate and read together on the couch. Blake's mom and dad came home from their lunch and we played a couple card games with them. Blake's dad is really funny.

The plan had been to go out to dinner, but Blake and I agreed neither of us wanted to go outside again until the rain was over, so I stayed at her house for dinner. Her dad made grilled cheese sandwiches that might rival Dad's. They should have a contest and I'll judge it because then I get a bunch of really good grilled cheese.

We watched a movie with Blake's parents. Her mom kept pointing out parts that were Blake's favorites when she was little and Blake kept getting embarrassed. It was funny. After the movie Blake's dad drove me home. It was kind of intimidating being alone in the car with him – he's _huge_. He didn't say much and neither did I. When we got to my house he waited until I unlocked the door to drive off, which was nice of him.

I barely took off my shoes before Yang and Dad descended on me and asked me how the date went. Yang was particularly interested in why I was dressed differently (my clothes were still wet so I wore Blake's clothes home). After they were done with their _interrogation_ we watched a little TV and then Dad said Yang and I had to go to bed for school tomorrow.

I've stayed up a little bit to read but I just keep turning pages without really reading anything because I keep thinking about Blake. And still scrambled eggs for some reason. I think that means it's time for sleep.

I can't wait to see her tomorrow.

XOXOXO :3

...

P.S. - Oh my gosh I wasn't even wearing my fancy underwear. For some reason it's making me upset. I guess it's a good thing though, because I don't think I want Blake's mom finding it when she does the laundry.

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	70. April 30th

**Disclaimer:** _This story is a work of fiction based on very limited experience and is intentionally dramatized._

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Today is Saturday, April 30th.

I'm really glad today is Saturday and not Sunday because I don't think I could handle going to school tomorrow. For many reasons. I'm so tired but I really don't think I'll be able to fall asleep for another few hours.

Blake came over today to study with me and Yang because our big tests are coming up soon. Like really soon. No matter how many times Oobleck said that they were getting closer and closer it always felt to me like they were months away, but now it's only a matter of days. And I don't feel even remotely ready. I've been so distracted with so many things that aren't school and history and studying that I haven't made time to actually commit any facts to memory. But that's what makes Blake even more special to me! She knows it all and always helps me :)

When we set up this study-date yesterday I made sure to tell Blake to come later in the day so I could sleep. Every day of this past week was spent studying, in nearly _every_ class! I needed a mental break. So I slept in today, and didn't wake up until almost 10:30! I took my time eating and getting myself ready to study – I told myself I was going to take it easy today – then I took Zwei for a quick walk. He looked disappointed when I told him we were turning around and we'd barely gone a few blocks, but I thought it would be best to keep it short since I knew we'd have to keep him outside the whole time Blake was here.

Blake came over at like 1:30 which was exactly when Dad, Yang, and I decided we were ready for lunch. We were all bent over looking in the fridge for something to eat when the doorbell rang and we all jumped. Dad bumped his head on the top of the fridge, and I'm still laughing thinking about it. I asked Blake if she wanted anything to eat but she said she wasn't hungry but then Dad said he found some tuna salad and we could have tuna salad sandwiches and then Blake got a really strange look in her eye – it was like her pupils got really big all of the sudden – and asked if she could have one too. Sometimes I forget how much she likes seafood. The four of us made sandwiches and Blake, Yang, and I ate on the porch since it was such a nice day out. It really felt like spring was here and ready to make everything better!

After lunch Yang and I gathered our books and notes and old quizzes and stuff and sat with Blake on the porch to study. We went through the old tests going over questions and quizzing each other on the material. I needed help with history, Yang needed help with math, and Blake didn't really need help with anything but asked us to quiz her on science and English. It went really well at first! But then we started getting distracted talking about other stuff, like school gossip and Jaune and Pyrrha and Weiss and Sun and a little about politics and then somehow Neo came up and then we went on to college and how Blake was going to Menagerie State. Yang practically grilled Blake about college prep and looking for colleges and stuff. I guess it's on her mind since she'll be graduating next year, but she's never seemed that interested in it before that I've noticed.

Anyway, after a few hours Blake said she had to go home so we packed up all our stuff and said bye and I gave her a kiss and she left. We didn't study as much as we were supposed to, but I still think I learned a lot more than I would have if I was studying on my own. Once Yang and I got inside though we saw Dad on the phone and he looked upset. He was facing the other direction but turned around when he heard the door close and his face was so dark and angry. As soon as he saw us I heard him say, "That's fine. See you soon." and then he slammed the phone back into the receiver. Yang said, "Dad, what's wrong?" and he said, "Nothing. I have to go to the grocery store. Can you girls clean up the kitchen and dining room before I get back?" We both said sure but asked him why and he said, "Raven's coming over for dinner." and he said it with such a nasty snarl that I actually got scared of him for a second.

Then he stormed off to his room to get ready to leave and Yang and I both looked at each other. I expected to see her looking like she felt as unnerved about how mad Dad was as me, but instead I saw her eyes bright and cheery and a grin growing on her face. She looked really happy, and I remember being confused at the time but now I guess I understand. I'm not sure I like understanding it though.

Dad left for the store and Yang and I split up the work so that I'd clean the kitchen and she'd do the dining room. There were lots of dishes left over from lunch that I had to clean and then I also wiped off the counter tops and the stove. I even cleaned the inside of the microwave! I guess seeing Dad so angry made me want to do a really good job so that it might make him happier when he saw it. Yang finished the dining room before I was even done with the dishes so she vacuumed the living room too. Maybe she felt the same way about cleaning up that I did. Or maybe she was doing it because her mom was coming over, and she wanted her to like it?

When Dad came back he looked a little calmer and Yang and I helped him unload the groceries from the car. There weren't that many – it looked like just enough for one really big dinner – but I did notice something in a brown paper bag that Dad made sure to take inside himself. Dad said we did a great job cleaning up and that we could go relax while he made dinner. I went to my room and read a book, and Yang took a shower.

Sometime around 8:00 I think I heard the doorbell ring and Zwei start barking, so I came downstairs. When I got down Dad was just letting Aunt Raven through the front door. She looked like she had just come from a business meeting or something and she was carrying a bottle of wine and I remember thinking it was strange that both Dad and Aunt Raven brought drinks. I went over and said 'Hi' and Aunt Raven said, "Hi Ruby, how are you?" and then handed me the bottle and told me to put it in some ice. I was like 'Okay' and went to the kitchen but I really had no idea what to do. We don't have an ice bucket for bottles as far as I know, so I was just looking around like 'What do I do with this'.

While I was doing that I heard Yang come running downstairs and she shouted, "Mom!" There was more talking but I couldn't hear it very well because I was in the kitchen and because Zwei was still barking every few seconds or so. Dad put him outside and then told us to go sit down for dinner.

Dinner was… weird. I can't think of another single word that would cover everything. It was weird from the very beginning. Dad and Yang brought the food out to the table – Dad's best lasagna with salad and garlic bread – and when Aunt Raven saw it she said, "Ah, yes, Summer's favorite." then she asked me to go get the wine. The conversation was pretty typical I guess. Aunt Raven and Dad caught up with each other – I think it's been almost ten months since I last saw Aunt Raven – and then she asked me and Yang what we were up to. It was like most conversations I have with adults, I just had this feeling that something was off. My stomach felt funny, like how I feel before I big test or a presentation. Yang talked to Aunt Raven a lot, but she never really returned the interest. Maybe that was just how I interpreted it though.

Soon enough it was over and I felt a huge feeling of relief wash over me when Aunt Raven said that she had to leave. Dad said he would walk her out and asked Yang and I to clear the table. Just like before we decided to split up the work, so Yang said she'd start on the dishes if I took care of the table. I finally started feeling like everything was okay and that tonight actually went well, and was wondering to myself why Dad was so mad about Aunt Raven coming over, but then they started talking on the porch.

I heard "Ruby's starting to look just like Summer." and then, "She is. I'm very proud of her. I'm also very proud of Yang. Very proud." and then, "Do we have to do this again, Tai?" and I just wanted them to stop talking or at least get off the porch and talk somewhere farther away. I didn't want to hear it, but I couldn't stop listening either.

From what I'm pretty sure I heard, and how I remember it, it went something like, "I really don't think it's too much to ask." then a little break then Dad said, "Summer vacation is coming up soon, and I think it would help her a lot. She's been through a couple rough patches lately, and she's going to have a really big transition not too long from now. I can't teach her everything she needs to know."

Then I heard Aunt Raven say, "I'm too busy, Tai. I wouldn't have the time."

And then Dad said, "She just wants you there. She just wants you to be even _slightly_ involved. You saw her during dinner. She gets so happy and excited when you're around."

Then I heard Aunt Raven say, "It would be too much trouble. I'm too busy then."

Dad said, "Too busy for your only daughter?"

But all Aunt Raven had to say to that was, "I have to go now. Goodbye Tai. Thank you for dinner."

And I think I understood in that moment why Dad gets so angry when she's around. It's not about something between the two of them, it's about Yang. And how Aunt Raven won't even try to care. Dad doesn't understand how she can't care.

I don't understand either.

After I heard all that, all I could think was 'Thank goodness Yang didn't hear that.'

I was thinking that until I heard the water in the kitchen stop, and then I heard Yang running up the stairs.

And I felt my heart fall straight out of my chest.

Dad came inside and saw me working alone and asked, "Where's Yang?" and I said, "She heard you guys."

Dad's face changed in a way that I don't think I ever want to see again. He just said, "Shit." and started walking upstairs.

I finished clearing the table and washing the dishes, then let Zwei back in and gave him some food before I went upstairs. It was almost 11. When I walked by Yang's room I just heard her crying. It took a lot for me to keep myself from crying.

I've been trying to go to sleep for an hour already and nothing is working.

My mother is dead, and it hurts whenever I think about her, about how much I wish she was here so I could talk to her. But Yang's mom is alive, and she still can't do those things. I just can't imagine how painful that must be.

I'm so thankful that Dad is here. I don't know what we'd do without him. I love him and Yang so much.

I hope tomorrow is better.

Goodnight.

...

P.S. - After like two hours of trying to fall asleep I went downstairs for a drink of water. Dad was sitting in his favorite chair in the living room reading a book. He said he couldn't sleep either. We talked for a little bit, mostly about Yang. I asked him about what he and Aunt Raven were talking about on the porch, and he said that he wants to have Yang spend the summer with her mom so they can have some time together. Aunt Raven always says she's too busy. He said that Aunt Raven has always been too attached to her work.

...

P.P.S. - The brown paper bag was in the trash. Dad had an empty glass next to him when I was talking to him in the living room. I didn't notice during dinner, but all the wine Aunt Raven brought was gone. She was the only one who had any.

...

P.P.P.S. - Maybe how Aunt Raven ignores Yang isn't the only reason why Dad is mad at her. Maybe there's something more personal. I don't think he's as willing to talk about it.

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 **Author's Notes:** I finally watched Volume 5. What an awful and disappointing season. Maybe in Volume 6 we'll get some insight into why Raven abandoned Yang. It isn't like it's been one of the biggest plot questions since V2, and it isn't like one of the main expectations for this season was that Yang was finally going to confront her mother and get some answers. But I guess we can all settle for a really poorly directed set of back and forth monologues that don't resolve anything.

 **Thank you for reading.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


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